Phenomenographic Framework Research Articles

Students' perceptions of using artificial intelligence in tertiary education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly influencing various aspects of teaching and learning in tertiary educational institutes. This concise paper presents the preliminary findings of an ongoing research that aims at exploring university students' perceptions of the use of AI in higher education settings. Phenomenographic framework has been adapted as the methodological guide for this research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among students of an international university to capture students' perceptions. Findings revealed that university students possess diverse perspectives on the use of AI in higher education settings. Four qualitatively distinct categories of perceptions of AI emerged from the interview data. It is found that university students perceive the use of AI as a) an essential academic aid, b) a facilitator of personalized learning, c) an inhibitor to critical thinking, and d) an ethical challenger. Findings have pedagogical, administrative, and ethical implications for developing AI-driven technology-focused policy that facilitates diverse student needs.

Unveiling in-service teachers’ conceptions of ‘environment’ and ‘environmental education’: an Ethiopian perspective

Underpinned by the premise that teachers’ conceptions determine their lesson planning and instructional practices, the study elucidates the prevalent ideas of teachers about two basic constructs: environment and environmental education. The study applied a phenomenographic framework to identify patterns in the conceptions of 17 primary school teachers in Ethiopia. The analysis relating to conceptions of ‘environment’ distinguished three distinctive categories: (1) object-focused—environment as an isolated physical entity, (2) utility-based—environment as a resource for human benefit and well-being, and (3) interactional-environment as a web of relationships between humans and natural elements. Most teachers had an object-focused perspective. Teachers’ ideas about ‘environmental education’ similarly generated three core categories: (1) knowledge acquisition—in the form of environmental information to be passed on to pupils, (2) utilization of resources—as a means to exploit natural resources, and (3) care for the environment—as a key means by which to educate citizens about desired pro-environmental behaviours. The knowledge-centred category was the most dominant conception. Finally, the authors found that teachers who viewed the environment through an object lens understood environmental education as knowledge-centred education. The implications of these findings in informing professional development activities and directions for further research are presented.

Student mental health nurses’ understanding of recovery: A phenomenographic study

AimTo explore the variation in mental health nursing students’ understanding of recovery. BackgroundIn mental health practice clinical understanding of recovery has been challenged with a new understanding based on the individualised experiences of the person, often referred to as personal recovery. Despite international policy endorsement, practice has been slow to embrace the principles of personal recovery and little is known about student nurses’ understanding of the concept. DesignQualitative phenomenographic study MethodIn-depth semi-structured interviews including discussion of a clinical scenario, were conducted with 13 pre-registration student nurses. Data was analysed iteratively using a seven stage phenomenographic framework, identifying categories of description and the outcome space. ResultsAnalysis revealed a branched outcome space with four qualitatively distinct ways of understanding recovery. Branch one can be broadly aligned to clinical recovery and contains one category only, ‘Recovery as Clinical Improvement’. It is distinctly different from branch two which contains three categories on a continuum, which represent more and less complete ways of understanding personal recovery: ‘Recovery as Making Progress’, ‘Recovery as Managing to Live Well’ and ‘Recovery as Learning to Live Differently’. Most participants demonstrated understanding in the less sophisticated categories. ConclusionRecovery is central to mental health nursing, yet this study suggests it is a problematic concept for students. Features of personal recovery can be found in the second branch of the outcome space, with the most sophisticated category ‘Learning to Live Differently’ best representing the principles of recovery espoused in nursing literature and international policy. Phenomenography has allowed a more complex picture to emerge, replacing the dichotomy between clinical and personal recovery and enabling a differentiation between more and less complete ways of understanding personal recovery. This study addresses the lack of attention given to student nurse experiences of recovery. The insights support educators, both in clinical and academic settings, to address personal recovery in more explicit way where partial understanding can be explored.

‘You Actually Feel like You’re Actually Doing Some Science’: Primary Students’ Perspectives of Their Involvement in the MyScience Initiative

MyScience is a primary science education initiative in which being in a community of practice (CoP) is integral to the learning process. Stakeholder groups—primary teachers, primary students and scientist mentors—interact around the CoP domainof investigating scientifically and learn from each other through participation. This paper is the fifth in a series and reports 27 year 5/6 students’ (from three schools) perceptions of how their views were influenced through their involvement in a MyScience CoP. Semi-structured interviews, guided by a phenomenographic framework, were the substantive data source. Primary students’ perceptions about science, science learning and science teaching were analysed using attributes associated with both communities of practice and the nature of science. Findings reveal that students’ perceptions of what it means to be doing science’ were transformed through their participation and students were able to identify some of the contributing factors. Where appropriate, students’ views were compared with the published views of their participating scientist mentors and teachers from earlier papers. Implications for science teaching and learning in primary school community of practice settings are discussed.

School Leader Perspectives on Leadership Learning Preparation and Continuing Professional Development in the Chinese Province of Fujian

This article reports the findings of a small-scale investigation into the perspectives of Chinese school leaders (school principals and deputy principals) on their leadership learning opportunities. The research draws on key policy documents and semi-structured interviews within a phenomenographic framework based on a cluster sample of ten school leaders located in Fuqing municipality, Fujian. Three overarching ‘categories of description’ emerge from the data: perspectives on formal learning, informal learning and the influences of systemic-contextual factors. The findings indicate that while there has been both an increase in investment and significant developments in school leadership training and continuing professional development, provision has been top-down and primarily focused on raising awareness of educational policy and reform. The study gives voice to the perceived learning needs of the school leaders themselves, arguing that these need to be addressed by policymakers if improvements in the quality of education are to be achieved in line with government expectations.

Intra‐organisational collaboration in one UK university: potential for change or missed opportunity

PurposeThe paper aims to examine the promotion of intra‐organisational collaboration within a university setting.Design/methodology/approachAn ethnographic approach influenced by a phenomenographic framework of analysis was used.FindingsContent analysis of qualitative data resulted in 11 overlapping themes being identified in respect of collaboration. Final analysis led to the identification of four hierarchically inclusive degrees of collaboration.Research limitations/implicationsThe research, whilst based within one UK university, raises important conceptual as well as practical questions.Practical implicationsThe implications of this paper have relevance for the ways in which universities and other agencies promote intra‐ as well as inter‐departmental (or agency) working.Originality/valueBy using the framework developed it is possible to see parallels across different professional and agency settings.

Students' Ways of Experiencing Human‐Centered Design

BackgroundDesign is a central and distinguishing activity of engineering and one of the core criteria for evaluating and accrediting engineering programs. Design is also a subject area that poses many challenges for faculty, and incorporating human‐centered design approaches—approaches in which designers have as a focus the people they are designing for—poses additional challenges. Human‐centered approaches to design contribute to innovations in engineering design and have been shown to increase productivity, improve quality, reduce errors, improve acceptance of new products, and reduce development costs. In today's globally competitive economy, it is more important than ever to develop effective design skills within the undergraduate years.Purpose (Hypothesis)Before effective design learning experiences to develop the skills needed for human‐centered design can be created, an understanding of the ways in which students understand and experience human‐centered design is needed. This study addresses this need by investigating the qualitatively different ways in which students experience human‐centered design.Design/MethodA phenomenographic framework was used to guide the methodology of the study while the literature and research on human‐centered design informed the construction of the study and provided ways to interpret the data and situate the findings. Thirty‐three student designers from a variety of academic contexts were interviewed using a semi‐structured, open‐ended approach in which they discussed concrete experiences “designing for others,” and reflections and meanings associated with those experiences.ResultsAnalysis of the data yielded seven qualitatively different ways in which the students experienced humancentered design; these seven categories of description formed a two‐dimensional outcome space. Five of the categories were nested hierarchically. From less comprehensive to more comprehensive, those categories included: Human‐centered design as “User as Information Source Input to Linear Process,” “Keep Users' Needs in Mind,” “Design in Context,” “Commitment” and “Empathic Design.” Two categories represented ways of experiencing human‐centered design that were distinct: design was not humancentered, but “Technology‐Centered” and human‐centered design was not design, but “Service.”ConclusionThis study found that i) students' understanding of the user and ii) their ability to integrate that into their designs are related in the development of more comprehensive ways of experiencing human‐centered design, and a conception of both aspects is needed. Furthermore, critical or immersive experiences involving real clients and users were important in allowing the students to experience human‐centered design in more comprehensive ways.

A blended learning Approach to teaching foreign policy: Student experiences of learning through face-to-face and online discussion and their relationship to academic performance

This article presents research on students’ experiences of learning through a blend of face-to-face and online discussion. The participants in our study were students enrolled in a foreign policy course at a major Australian university. Students’ conceptions of learning through discussion, and their approaches to both face-to-face and online discussion, were elicited through open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Students’ responses to both open-ended questionnaires and interviews were analysed using a phenomenographic framework. Qualitative variations in students’ conceptions and approaches were categorised and were found to form a hierarchy. Subsequent quantitative analysis found associations between students’ conceptions of learning through discussion, their approaches to both face-to-face and online discussion and their academic performance (as indicated by the final mark for the course). Implications for teaching and further research are discussed.

Is thereLife afterModelling? Student conceptions of mathematics

We have been investigating university student conceptions of mathematics over a number of years, with the goal of enhancing student learning and professional development. We developed an open-ended survey of three questions, on “What is mathematics” and two questions about the role of mathematics in the students’ future. This questionnaire was completed by 1,200 undergraduate students of mathematics in Australia, the UK, Canada, South Africa, and Brunei. The sample included students ranging from those majoring in mathematics to those taking only one or two modules in mathematics. Responses were analysed starting from a previously-developed phenomenographic framework that required only minor modification, leading to an outcome space of four levels of conceptions about mathematics. We found that for many students modelling is fundamental to their conception of “What is mathematics?”. In a small number of students, we identified a broader conception of mathematics, that we have labelledLife. This describes a view of mathematics as a way of thinking about reality and as an integral part of life, and represents an ideal aim for university mathematics education.

Sixth-Grade Students’ Views of the Nature of Engineering and Images of Engineers

This study investigated the views of the nature of engineering held by 6th-grade students to provide a baseline upon which activities or curriculum materials might be developed to introduce middle-school students to the work of engineers and the process of engineering design. A phenomenographic framework was used to guide the analysis of data collected from: (1) a series of 20 semi-structured interviews with 6th-grade students, (2) drawings created by these students of “an engineer or engineers at work” that were discussed during the interviews, and (3) field notes collected by the researchers during the interviews. The 6th-grade students tended to believe that engineers were individuals who make or build products, although some students understood the role of engineers in the design or planning of products, and, to a lesser extent in testing products to ensure that they “work” and/or are safe to use. The combination of drawings of “engineers or engineering at work” and individual interviews provided more insight into the students’ views of the nature of engineering than either source of data would have offered on its own. Analysis of the data suggested that the students’ concepts of engineers and engineering were fragile, or unstable, and likely to change within the time frame of the interview.

Nurses’ conceptions of facilitative strategies of weaning patients from mechanical ventilation—A phenomenographic study

Mechanical ventilator withdrawal can amount up to 40% of total ventilator time. Being on a mechanical ventilator is associated with risk of anxiety, post-traumatic stress syndrome, nosocomial pneumonia and premature mortality. The purpose of the present study was to describe different conceptions of nurses' facilitating decision-making strategies regarding weaning patients from mechanical ventilations cared for in intensive care unit (ICU). Semi-structured interviews were analysed within the phenomenographic framework. Twenty ICU nurses were interviewed. The findings revealed three main categories of nurses' facilitating decision-making strategies: "The intuitive and interpretative strategy" featured nurses' pre-understandings. "The instrumental strategy" involved analysis and assessment of technological and physiological parameters. "The cooperative strategy" was characterised by interpersonal relationships in the work situation. Absence of a common strategy and lack of understanding of others' strategies were a source of frustration. The main goals were to end mechanical ventilator support, create a sense of security, and avoid further complications. Although these findings need to be confirmed by further studies we suggest that nurses' variable use of individual strategies more likely complicate an efficient and safe weaning process of the patients from mechanical ventilation.

Learning physiotherapy in clinical practice: Student interaction in a professional context

A situated perspective on learning implies looking at learning as a process of social interaction. Learning is linked to participation and engagement in situations and activities that make up the community of practice. The aim of this study was to explore how important students perceive interaction in the community of practice to be for their learning. We chose a qualitative approach using semistructured interviews. The informants were five interns and five third-year students. The interviews were analysed by using a phenomenographic framework. Four descriptive categories were identified: 1) feeling welcome and included; 2) having enough time and space; 3) the importance of a fellow student; and 4) the patient as my teacher. In environments in which students feel welcome and included, they are allowed to test their ability to gain and develop experience, and they become active participants of a community. As active participants, students have access to a variety of learning situations. If learning is understood as a dynamic process during which all participants develop, there will be mutual interaction between students and the professional community. When learning becomes integrated into practice and has consequences for development of the community, responsibility for the learning of others becomes important.

Medium and Learning in Chinese and English in Hong Kong Classrooms

The issue of medium of instruction and questions related to effective learning constitute an important part of the current debates on language education and the planning of education policy in Hong Kong. Since the transfer of sovereignty in 1997 a growing body of research is generating new insights into this fraught question of policy and planning. We report here the results of the first study that has adopted the phenomenographic framework of learning. This approach allows a perspective to be developed on the actual functioning of communication within content classrooms and throws light on the effectiveness of the acquisition of learning, key concepts and extended or deep understanding in terms of the language of instruction. It has direct consequences on the choices to be made within the framework of language policy in Hong Kong and is relevant to similar contexts in other settings.

Undergraduate Students’ Conceptions of Mathematics: An International Study

In this paper, we report on an international study of undergraduate mathematics students’ conceptions of mathematics. Almost 1,200 students in five countries completed a short survey including three open-ended questions asking about their views of mathematics and its role in their future studies and planned professions. Responses were analysed starting from a previously-developed phenomenographic framework (Reid et al., 2003) which required only minor modification. Students’ conceptions of mathematics ranged from the narrowest view as a focus on calculations with numbers, through a notion of mathematics as a focus on models or abstract structures, to the broadest view of mathematics as an approach to life and a way of thinking. Broader conceptions of mathematics were more likely to be found in later-year students (p<0.001) and there were significant differences between universities (p<0.001). The information obtained from the study not only confirms previous research, but also provides a basis for future development of a monitoring questionnaire.

Incentives for lifestyle changes in patients with coronary heart disease

This paper reports a study exploring how patients in the rehabilitation phase of coronary heart disease experience facilitating and constraining factors related to lifestyle changes of importance for wellbeing and prognosis. Lifestyle change is important but complex during rehabilitation after a myocardial infarction or angina pectoris. The intentions to perform behaviours and to experience control over facilitators and constraints are important determinants of behaviour. A total of 113 consecutive patients below 70 years of age (84 men and 29 women) were interviewed within 6 weeks of a cardiac event and again after 1 year. Interview transcriptions and notes taken by hand were qualitatively analysed using the phenomenographic framework. The distribution of statements among the categories identified was quantitatively analysed. The data were collected in 1998-2000. Four main categories portrayed patients' experiences of facilitating or constraining incentives for lifestyle changes. 'Somatic incentives' featured bodily signals indicating improvements/illness. 'Social/practical incentives' involved shared concerns, changed conditions including support/demand from social network, and work/social security issues. Practical incentives concerned external environmental factors in the patients' concrete context. 'Cognitive incentives' were characterized by active decisions and appropriated knowledge, passive compliance with limited insights, and routines/habits. 'Affective incentives' comprised fear of and reluctance in the face of lifestyle changes/disease, lessened self-esteem, and inability to resist temptations. Cognitive incentives mostly facilitated physical exercise and drug treatment. Social/practical incentives facilitated physical exercise and diet change. Physical exercise and diet changes were mainly constrained by somatic, social, and affective incentives. The results illustrate important incentives that should be considered in contacts with patients and their families to improve the prospects of positively affecting co-operation with suggested treatment and lifestyle changes.

Rehabilitation after coronary heart disease: spouses' views of support.

Family presence decreases mortality and improves psychosocial recovery after a coronary heart disease event. In this situation, spousal support seems important for the recovering partner's self-esteem and mastery. There is inadequate knowledge of how spouses view their supportive roles. The aim of this paper is to report a study investigating spouses' experiences of the rehabilitation phase of their partners' coronary heart disease and to gain their views about supporting them in lifestyle changes. Eight male (mean age 61) and 17 female spouses (mean age 53), were interviewed 1 year after their partner's cardiac event. Of the partners, 18 had experienced myocardial infarction and 19 were revascularized. Interview transcripts were analysed qualitatively using a phenomenographic framework. The analysis yielded five different views of the spouse's role. The participative role involved taking a practical part in lifestyle changes, communicating empathetically, and being positive about changes. The regulative role was characterized by being either positive or negative about changes, giving practical or cognitive support in order to control the partner's behaviour, and communicating authoritatively. In the observational role the spouse was passive, complied with suggestions, and communicated empathetically. The incapacitated role involved a positive attitude to changes, communicating without making demands, but being unable to provide support because of personal problems. Assuming a dissociative role entailed being negative about changes and authoritatively declaring a reluctance to be involved in the partner's change of lifestyle. Spouses adopted different roles depending on the support situation. Spouses' views of their roles in support varied considerably in terms of awareness of the benefits of behavioural changes, style of communication, pattern of co-operation and support situation. The findings favour the view that a family perspective is important in planning rehabilitation of patients following coronary heart disease.

Coronary heart disease: causes and drug treatment--spouses' conceptions.

Spouses are important in the rehabilitation process of their partner after coronary heart disease event. Their knowledge and attitudes have an impact on their support to the partner concerning lifestyle changes and drug treatment after an event. To explore spouses' conceptions concerning causes of coronary heart disease and drug treatment 1 year after the partner's cardiac event. Qualitative with an empirical and inductive approach. Semi-structured interviews with strategically selected spouses (17 women and eight men) were taped. The transcripts were analysed within the phenomenographic framework. Spouses' conceptions about causes of coronary heart disease and its treatment consisted of correct facts, as judged on a lay level, less elaborated conceptions and misconceptions. Among causes of coronary heart disease, the spouses were most knowledgeable about fat intake. They knew less about contributions from inactivity, stress and smoking. Ambivalent feelings were expressed about benefits vs. side effects of drugs. The treatment was conceived as necessary for the heart, but harmful for other organs. Men and women were evenly distributed in most of the derived categories. More women than men considered stress as a cause of coronary heart disease and also misconceived physical exercise to cause the disease. A variation of spouses' conceptions was revealed about causes of coronary heart disease and drug treatment. There was a lack of understanding concerning important parts of cardiac rehabilitation activities. These misconceptions may have implications by influencing their partner's co-operative behaviour. Spouses' pre-existing conceptions of coronary heart disease and its treatment should be considered in the rehabilitation process of their partner. Couples with misconceptions should be given the opportunity to increase qualitatively their knowledge starting from their point of view rather than from that of the professional perspective.