Great Expectations: An Exploration of Student Academic Learning Expectations

Abstract

Student-centred learning (SCL) within nursing higher education represents a deliberate move away from historically utilised, traditional, behaviourist teaching approaches. The use of SCL is considered beneficial within higher education, with more meaningful, whole-person, and lifelong learning being created. Specifically, within nursing, SCL is positively viewed due to its apparent congruence to patient-centred care. The term is, however, ambiguous, lacking in clarity and definition, thus resulting in confusion about principles and how it is to be accomplished. Yet, there is general agreement that SCL and teaching methods should promote student activity and involvement and take student interests and expectations into account. This study focuses on one aspect of SCL – student expectations of learning – in the context of the teaching of a higher education nursing program that espouses SCL. The aim of this study is to investigate and explore the expectations of students toward their academic learning at the beginning of the first year of an undergraduate university nursing degree. More specifically, two research questions have been asked: 1. What are the expectations of first-year undergraduate nursing students toward their academic learning? 2. Do the expectations of first-year undergraduate nursing students include a preference for SCL? In order to answer these questions, a sequential qualitative-dominant explanatory mixed-method design was utilised, in which the quantitative research phase was used to develop the qualitative phase. A convenience sample of 300 (N = 300) first-year undergraduate nursing students were invited to engage in the project, with 32.66% (n = 98) completing the questionnaire and 3.67% (n = 11) participating in individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire data were analysed through the latest edition of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), with qualitative questionnaire data analysed using Leximancer software. Findings from this analysis, combined with information from the literature review, were used to develop a semi-structured interview schedule. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed based on the six phases of analysis as developed by Braun and Clarke. From the findings of the qualitative data, five key expectations were discovered in relation to students’ university study and academic learning: (1) less support would be provided at university, (2) there would be didactic teaching in tertiary education, (3) personal changes and learning freedom would be required, (4) learning preferences would be catered for by the university, and (5) an occupation-specific degree should include occupation-specific assessment. A sixth expectation was seemingly aligned with SCL (student involvement); however, it was not something explicitly expected or preferred. From these expectations, inferences are made concerning a preference by the students for some level of SCL; however, no explicit mention was made of any forms of pedagogical SCL by the participants within the study. With the university made aware of students’ expectations, educational changes could be made that incorporate these expectations and thus better meet the needs of the incoming first-year cohort. With the embedding of student expectations into a university’s educational focus, SCL may be able to move from the current rhetoric and penetrate education practice. Tailoring of teaching and resources that integrate these expectations and preferences would likely be a clear and practical way in which the university could deliver a model of SCL as indicated within curriculum documentation.