Focus Group Research Articles

Nuevas generaciones, nuevos retos: innovando la educación en medicina de urgencias a través de la tecnología

IntroductionThis study examines the unique educational challenges encountered in emergency medicine, which arise from a wide variety of cases and the unpredictability of the emergency setting. We introduce a Digital Learning Resource (DLR) that uses virtual simulation to complement and enhance traditional educational methods. MethodsWe conducted a descriptive study of systematization of experiences, where the DLR design was evaluated on the basis of a questionnaire applied to a group of students and focus groups with students and teachers. ResultsOf the 59 students who participated, 72.8% completed the assessment, resulting in an overall rating for the DLR of 87.11%. The technology and educational content were highly rated (87.3% and 86.3%, respectively), and accessibility was also rated favorably at 85.8%. Feedback from the focus group indicated that students valued the integration of theory and clinical practice in the DLR, but they also suggested improvements in areas such as consistent access and better adaptation for mobile devices. ConclusionThe DLR has proven to be a valuable educational tool, with a satisfaction rate of 87%, and meets the validation requirements of the UNE standards set by the Spanish Standardization Association. The findings point to the necessity for ongoing development and adaptation of the resource to further its educational impact in emergency medicine and to determine its suitability for use in various educational contexts. Future studies should investigate the long-term educational effects and clinical applicability of the DLR.

'We are pulled to the four corners': Qualitative role descriptions of advanced practice children's nurses in Malawi.

This study investigated emerging roles among specialist child health nurses (CHNs) in Malawi. Advanced nursing role development is globally advocated. Nursing role descriptions provide an evidential basis for workforce planning. Rigorously developed role descriptions are scarce worldwide, especially for Africa. Advanced nursing roles were introduced in Malawi's child health system a decade ago. We followed guidance on generating nursing role descriptions to collect and analyse qualitative data from interviews and focus groups, using qualitative content analysis. We used COREQ reporting standards. More than half (41/80) of Malawi's child health nursing workforce participated. Richly descriptive accounts of roles elicited three themes: leading and developing new services and improving existing ones; holding rare knowledge which uplifts care quality; and responsibility for developing the role. These responsibilities are experienced as a privilege and a burden, often meaning CHNs are 'pulled to the four corners'. We found evidence of remarkable achievements by Malawi's CHNs but also suggestions that they are under heavy strain. Because multi-stakeholder agreement about role content is crucial to successfully implementing advanced nursing roles, we hope the approach taken by this study, and the information generated, could be useful as part of human resources for health strategy development in other lower-resourced countries globally.

What Makes Teachers’ Professional Learning More or Less Effective?: An Evolution of Community of Practice for Physical Education Teachers

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to explore the developmental stages of a community of practice (CoP) and its impact on teachers’ professional learning. Methods: Eight physical education (PE) teachers and one professor participated in this project, which specifically examined a CoP focused on PE (PE-CoP). Interviews and observations, as well as a focus group, were used to collect the data, which were analyzed through a constructivist revision of grounded theory. Results: The PE-CoP, which shared the same teaching model, progressed rapidly in its early stage by providing the teachers with collaborative activities to develop innovative pedagogies. Learning from the existing members was then added as a main type of professional learning for the teachers. The PE-CoP, however, gradually lost its collaborative approach, which led to ineffective professional learning. Conclusions: Finding an optimal balance between retaining focus on the primary goal of creating a CoP and offering fresh activities for more experienced members was determined to be a key factor in making the community healthy and sustainable.

Preservice Physical Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Health-Related Fitness Self-Testing in a Teaching Methods Course

Purpose: This study explored how preservice physical education teachers (PPETs) perceive health-related fitness testing (HRFT) administered in a self-testing format with the aim to enhance their HRFT learning and better prepare them for future HRFT implementation. Methods: The study utilized a constructive phenomenological research design. A total of 11 PPETs participated in the study. Data were collected through a focus group interview, individual interviews, observation and field notes, and written assignments. Two researchers analyzed the data in NVivo 12. Results: Three findings were concluded from the data. First, the administration of self-testing engaged PPETs in active learning of HRFT. Second, PPETs reported positive attitudes toward self-testing when their needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness were satisfied. Lastly, PPETs identified challenges and proposed suggestions for completing and administrating HRFT. Conclusions: Self-testing may be used as an alternative approach to preparing PPETs for HRFT. More research is needed to examine the effectiveness and reliability of self-testing in educational settings.

Improving primary school students’ multiplication ability using “smart suitcase” media assisted by mathematical worksheets

In mathematics, there are four basic operations that students must master from the elementary school level, namely addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. However, some students experience difficulties or misunderstandings in interpreting multiplication as repeated addition. This research aims to improve the learning outcomes of second-grade students on multiplication material in elementary schools. This research used the teacher action research approach with 20 second-grade students at Kepuhan Sewon Public Elementary School as participants. Apart from that, this research used two data collection methods, namely providing mathematical worksheets and observations carried out by special observers. Data analysis was carried out by looking at the students’ average scores, reflecting through focus group discussions with observers, and filling in observation sheets by the teacher. Furthermore, the results of this research are presented in the form of teacher observation sheet scores and mathematical worksheets work results. The score results on the observation sheet show an increase in scores from learning in cycle 1 to cycle 2. In addition, the average score of students’ mathematical worksheets after intervention in the form of smart suitcase media and mathematical worksheets always increases with pre-cycle details (82), cycle I (93), and cycle II (94). Thus, the use of smart suitcase media assisted by mathematical worksheets has direct implications for improving the learning outcomes of second-grade students in the material of multiplication of integers.

The Potential of Sport Education to Satisfy the Basic Psychological Needs of Children From Socially Vulnerable Backgrounds

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine whether, drawing on the perception of their coaches, the application of the pedagogical model of sport education could be associated with satisfying the basic psychological needs of children from socially vulnerable backgrounds. Method: A 36-session sport education season was implemented within a community program for youths from disadvantaged environments. Three coaches, one researcher, and 31 children aged 9–11 years (17 boys and 14 girls) of diverse ethnicities participated. Qualitative data were obtained through four focus groups conducted during the program in addition to the research diary of the researcher, who played the role of participant observer. Results: The coaches observed a progressive evolution in the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of competence, autonomy, relatedness, and the need referred to as novelty. Discussion/Conclusion: We may conclude that sport education can be a valuable tool to improve the satisfaction of these needs in children from socially vulnerable backgrounds.

Exploring the Role of Lesson Planning on Prospective Teacher Professional Skills at the University of Narowal: A Qualitative Research Study

This qualitative research article investigates the impact of lesson planning on the professional skills of prospective teachers at the University of Narowal. Lesson planning is a critical component of effective teaching, and it usually influences the effectiveness of teacher training programs. The study employs qualitative research methods, including interviews and focus group discussions, to explore the perspectives and experiences of prospective teachers regarding the influence of lesson planning on their professional skill development. The study involves sixteen prospective teachers enrolled in teacher education programs in the 3rd and 8th semesters at the University of Narowal. As a sample of the study, these prospective teachers were selected by using a purposive sampling technique. The findings stated that lesson planning may play a key in teaching skill development and professional growth and make teaching and learning more effective during a planned class.

Replication in Requirements Engineering: The NLP for RE Case

Natural language processing (NLP) techniques have been widely applied in the requirements engineering (RE) field to support tasks such as classification and ambiguity detection. Despite its empirical vocation, RE research has given limited attention to replication of NLP for RE studies. Replication is hampered by several factors, including the context specificity of the studies, the heterogeneity of the tasks involving NLP, the tasks’ inherent hairiness , and, in turn, the heterogeneous reporting structure. To address these issues, we propose a new artifact, referred to as ID-Card , whose goal is to provide a structured summary of research papers emphasizing replication-relevant information. We construct the ID-Card through a structured, iterative process based on design science. In this article: (i) we report on hands-on experiences of replication; (ii) we review the state-of-the-art and extract replication-relevant information: (iii) we identify, through focus groups, challenges across two typical dimensions of replication: data annotation and tool reconstruction; and (iv) we present the concept and structure of the ID-Card to mitigate the identified challenges. This study aims to create awareness of replication in NLP for RE. We propose an ID-Card that is intended to foster study replication but can also be used in other contexts, e.g., for educational purposes.

The third space, student and staff co-creation of gamified informal learning: an emerging model of co-design

This article draws from the authors’ exploration of an innovative third space approach to engaging students with informal learning through the use of co-design and co-creation, which sits outside traditional subject delivery spaces. The third space project, the Digital Citizenship Programme, centres on the transformative experience and dialogic encounter for participants. The third space in this context was constituted by co-design and co-production involving students, alumni, academics and professional service staff. The project evaluated third space activity in terms of co-design, through its development process and in what is achieved by participants’ engagement with it. The aims were to analyse the mutuality and relational aspects of the innovative pedagogic intervention; the development of transferable skills and agentic development in the third space; and the dialogic experience for participants. The research data were collected over a period of three years, using focus groups, co-creation workshop observations and field notes. This project builds on the body of research that focuses on partnerships with students that fall under the umbrella of the third space. The article underlines the importance of co-creation approaches in building the relational and dialogic dynamic in higher education spaces.

“You’ll find most people who got involved with the Café couldn’t do without it now” – Socialising in an online versus in-person Aphasia Café

BACKGROUND: People with Aphasia (PwA) experience detrimental consequences post-stroke which can result in limited opportunities for social engagement and poor psychosocial ramifications. Peer support can improve psychosocial outcomes. Unfortunately, Covid-19 related social restrictions resulted in the closure of social outlets for PwA, further exacerbating social isolation. Some social networks transitioned online during this period. One such network was the Aphasia Café, a social group for PwA, supported by Speech and Language Therapy students (SLTS). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the Aphasia Café (in-person and online), within the context of pandemic-related social restrictions, from the perspectives of PwA and the SLTS who support them. METHODS: 16 SLTS participated in one of five focus groups. Six PwA were individually interviewed. Semi-structured questionnaires facilitated inductive and deductive data collection which were analysed using Framework Analysis. RESULTS: Observed themes related to the in-person and online Aphasia Café will be reported in this paper. Overarching themes observed from both SLTS and PwA include: ‘Socialising changes during Covid-19 pandemic’, ‘Awareness and Purpose of the Aphasia Café’, ‘Perceptions of an Online and In-Person Aphasia Café” (subthemes –accessibility, technology, time/timing, non-verbal communication, and social environment), and ‘Optimal Aphasia Café’ (PwA only). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a unique perspective on the delivery of a supported informal conversation group from both PwA and the SLTS who facilitate it. Both online and in-person social spaces were considered to enhance the quality of life for PwA and give valuable experience for SLTS.

Attitude and readiness of utilizing virtual reality simulations in interprofessional education to facilitate prompt and safe hospital discharges in England

ABSTRACT It can be challenging in England to provide interprofessional education (IPE) in hospitals due to practitioners’ availability, high workload, difficulty to backfill, and training costs. Furthermore, most of the IPE training is facilitated by a didactic teaching strategy in a classroom which fails to engage practitioners to understand each other roles and responsibilities, work procedures, policies, issues related to resources, and their pressure points. Technological innovation, in particular virtual reality has opened up a door to overcome these challenges by enabling practitioners to access IPE virtually, and it provides an immersive experience to them. It is not clear whether health and social care practitioners in England would accept and be ready to embrace this type of technology. Hence, this research study aims to understand attitudes and readiness to access virtual reality simulations (VRS) as a teaching modality and pedagogical tool. Health and social care practitioners (n = 22) attended two focus groups after engaging in a VRS and agreed that it could give them valuable learning experiences where they would be able to learn and practice soft skills in a safe environment to discharge people promptly and safely.

Parent, child, and adolescent lived experience using the insulin-only iLet Bionic Pancreas.

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems show great promise for improving glycemic outcomes and reducing disease burden for youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The current study examined youth and parent perspectives after using the insulin-only iLet Bionic Pancreas (BP) during the 13-week pivotal trial. Parents and youth participated in focus group interviews, with questions assessing participants' experiences in a variety of settings and were grounded in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Qualitative analysis was completed by 3 authors using a hybrid thematic analysis approach. Qualitative analysis of focus groups revealed a total of 19 sub-themes falling into 5 major themes (Diabetes Burden, Freedom and Flexibility, Daily Routine, Managing Glucose Levels, and User Experience). Participants' overall experience was positive, with decreased burden and improved freedom and flexibility. Some participants reported challenges in learning to trust the system, adjusting to the user interface, and the system learning their body. This study adds to the growing literature on patient perspectives on using AID systems and was among the first to assess caregiver and youth experiences with the BP system over an extended period (13 weeks). Patient feedback on physical experiences with the device and experiences trusting the device to manage glucose should inform future development of technologies as well as approaches to education for patients and their families.

Measuring The Priority Of Tourism Village Development In The New Tourism Era

The study aims to analyze the priority of developing tourist villages during the new normal period in Petang District, Badung Regency Bali. The theory and concepts used to answer the problems in this research are the concept of tourism product components, the concept of a tourism village, the concept of new normal tourism. The research method used is qualitative research using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Sources of data in this study are primary data and secondary data obtained through the process of observation, interviews and focus group discussions. The results of this study indicate that the priority of developing a tourism village in Petang District in the new normal era is an ancillary aspect as the main development priority. Then, the order of priority aspects of development that can be done next is attraction, accessibility, amenity, available packages and activity. Related to ancillary as the main priority aspect, there are institutional sub-criteria as things that can be prioritized first compared to the development of additional services. Based on the analysis that has been carried out, the form of institutional development that will be implemented is by holding a collaboration between the Petang District Government and the tourism institutional where the assistance collaboration is carried out in stages starting with the establishment of a tourism management system.

Adolescents’ Perceptions About Healthy and Sustainable Diets: A Qualitative School-Based Study in Portugal

ABSTRACT In this qualitative study, we explored Portuguese adolescents’ perceptions of diet, sustainability, and health through six focus group discussions (FGDs). Fifty-five adolescents (10–18 years) participated. FGDs focused on sustainability in food choices and its health impact, with our primary interest in their perceptions. Results showed a limited comprehension of “sustainable/sustainability,” especially among younger participants. Those aware of sustainability recognized its diverse aspects, including health, economic, and ecological domains. Some adolescents recognized the link between health and sustainability in their diets, emphasizing the need for food literacy. These findings emphasize the importance of public health and sustainable policies among Portuguese adolescents.

The Role of e-Cigarette Packaging as a Health Communications Tool: A Focus Group Study With Adolescents and Adults in England and Scotland.

In the United Kingdom, e-cigarette and refill packaging must display a nicotine addiction warning. This study explored how this message is perceived, responses to alternative on-pack messages, and other options for using e-cigarette packaging to discourage youth and people who neither smoke nor use e-cigarettes while encouraging smokers to switch. Between August and September 2022, 16 focus groups (n = 70) were conducted to explore these topics with adolescents (n = 31, aged 11-17 years) and adults (n = 39, nonsmokers, smokers that use e-cigarettes, smokers that do not use e-cigarettes) in England and Scotland. While several participants thought the current nicotine addiction warning could help increase awareness of nicotine addiction, most reported that it failed to capture attention and was not a deterrent. Alternative messages shown on packs (about harm, toxicity, wellness, litter, or relative risk) received mixed responses. Relative risk messages were perceived as most beneficial for smokers switching but also thought to potentially encourage uptake among nonsmokers. Some participants considered certain harm and toxicity messages to potentially dissuade uptake. Participants proposed several ideas to reduce the appeal of e-cigarette packaging and devices to deter youth uptake, including more prominent warnings, standardized packaging, and devices that are plain or include health messages. Packaging can play a crucial role in communicating product and health messages to different consumer groups. Further consideration of how packaging and labeling can meet the needs of non-nicotine users while simultaneously reaching those who may benefit from using e-cigarettes to stop smoking is warranted. While some viewed the nicotine addiction warning required on e-cigarettes and refill packaging in the United Kingdom as helpful in raising awareness of nicotine addiction, it did not resonate with most of our sample of adolescents and adults. The findings suggest that e-cigarette packaging could be better used to encourage smokers to switch to a less harmful alternative, with relative risk messages showing promise. Furthermore, strengthening on-pack messaging (eg increasing salience and rotating messages) and reducing the appeal of packaging (eg drab colors) and devices (eg including warnings) may help increase awareness of e-cigarette harms while deterring use among adolescents and nonsmokers.

Has the explicit teaching of emotions a place in the secondary school curriculum? a small-scale PE-based study

ABSTRACT The secondary school curriculum largely aims to prepare students academically, often overlooking the holistic development of the learner. The benefits of socio-emotional learning (SEL) to student behaviour and academic attainment are gradually acknowledged and discussed, but teachers may find it hard to integrate SEL into their subject knowledge. This paper draws on the findings of a novel pilot project that aimed to integrate socioemotional-oriented teaching into the secondary school curriculum. It employs a lesson study (LS) approach to actively involve teacher trainees in curriculum development that introduces SEL in the context of physical education (PE). The project was conducted in partnership with one mainstream secondary school in the Southwest of England for a period of 2 months during the summer term 2021–2022. Two teacher trainees and one qualified PE teacher designed, evaluated, and planned a sequence of four research lessons focusing on integrating socioemotional-oriented teaching in PE. Data collection involved four focus groups and six in-depth evaluation interviews. Our findings provide insights into the tensions, challenges and significance of explicitly introducing socioemotional-oriented teaching into a secondary curriculum subject raising questions about the place of emotions in education. It also highlights the potential of a lesson study approach in empowering teachers’ involvement in curriculum development. Evidence suggests that teacher trainees might be more motivated to draw on SEL teaching when it is integrated in their subject topic. Practical implications for teacher training and professional development are discussed.

How is vaping promoted in an illegal market? A qualitative study of Singaporeans’ social media encounters

BackgroundAlthough Singapore has completely banned vaping, it is heavily promoted on social media. This study explored vaping-related social media content that Singaporeans are exposed to, and how it shapes vaping-related...

Barriers to accessing care among rural women veterans: A qualitative study with veterans, peer specialists, and primary care professionals.

Rural women veterans are less likely than men and nonrural veterans to access Veterans Health Administration (VHA) care. This qualitative study describes rural women veterans' barriers to accessing care and explores whether participants viewed a peer specialist intervention as having the potential to facilitate access to care. We recruited rural veterans who identified as women with psychological distress and social needs, women peer specialists, and VHA primary care professionals working with rural veterans. We conducted two veteran focus groups, two peer specialist focus groups, and 11 individual Patient Aligned Care Team professional interviews using semistructured interview questions. One of the veteran focus groups was exclusive to veterans of color. We used a rapid qualitative data analysis approach to analyze the results. Data analysis revealed barriers affecting perceived access to services for rural women veterans, especially veterans of color, including transportation, finances, childcare, long travel distance to clinics, lack of access to gender-specific services, ineligibility for services, and lacking information about available resources. Participants also reported challenges accessing community services outside of the VHA. The rural women veterans reported a strong preference for gender-specific services. Leveraging existing VHA resources with rural women veterans may mitigate some of the identified barriers. In particular, participants agreed that increasing availability of peer specialists who are both women and veterans could bridge some perceived barriers to accessing care among rural women veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing the determinants of participation in the circular plastic economy by Nigerian students

Purpose This study aims to address the critical subject of building capacity for the circular economy in the global south. It complements the literature by providing information on the role of higher education institutions in developing skills for the circular plastic economy. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed method approach drawing on reflective analysis on qualitative data from 5 focus groups and 12 semi-structured interviews, and structural equation modelling of quantitative data from 151 students across 4 Nigerian Universities. Findings The results indicate that Nigerian university students are more likely to participate in the circular plastic economy through a high prominence of soft power features such as increased awareness, inspiration, idea generation, encouragement and capacity building. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this study is with the sample. A larger data set, including other tertiary institutions such as private universities, polytechnics and schools of vocational studies, would strengthen the results. Practical implications The study underlines the importance of targeted policy interventions and pedagogic innovations to drive awareness and knowledge building among Nigeria’s youth population. Originality/value This study makes a novel contribution by using empirical evidence to determine the predictors of student participation in the circular plastic economy. This understanding is important for the development and implementation of appropriate policies that promote participation in the circular plastic economy. Furthermore, given the typical youthful age bracket of university students, any plans to achieve a systemic shift in the plastic value chain must involve the young generation.

Reaching the unreached through building trust: a mixed-method study on COVID-19 vaccination in rural Lao PDR

IntroductionThe global COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been impacted by socioeconomic disparities and vaccine hesitancy, but few studies examine reasons for changed attitudes. In Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), a...