Student Focus Groups Research Articles

Assessing the Reliability and Validity of a Questionnaire Evaluating Medical Students’ Attitudes, Knowledge, and Perceptions of Antibiotic Education and Antimicrobial Resistance in University Training

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics represent a critical global issue and one of the most pressing public health challenges of the 21st century. Training future healthcare professionals effectively is essential for ensuring responsible antibiotic use. This study aimed to validate a questionnaire designed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of medical students regarding the education they receive on infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and antibiotic stewardship during their university studies. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was developed and distributed to medical students at the University of Santiago de Compostela. Comprising 44 items, the questionnaire assessed eight key dimensions: “infection diagnosis”, “criteria for not prescribing antibiotics”, “initial antibiotic therapy”, “re-evaluation of therapy”, “quality of care”, “communication skills”, “antibiotic resistance”, and “teaching methodology”. Validation was carried out in two stages: Phase 1 involved content and face validity, while Phase 2 focused on reliability analysis. Results: A total of 295 students completed the questionnaire, with a mean age of 23.15 ± 1.78 years. The sample included 86 male (29.2%) and 209 female (70.8%) respondents. Content and face validity were established by a nominal group of five experts and a focus group of medicine and pharmacy students to ensure consensus on item understanding in the Spanish language. The questionnaire demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92 and satisfactory item discrimination. Construct validity was confirmed through principal component analysis, which supported the presence of the eight predefined dimensions. Conclusions: The validated questionnaire exhibited strong reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for assessing medical students’ training in antibiotic-related topics. Its application will enable the identification of areas for improvement in university curricula, ultimately contributing to the promotion of appropriate antibiotic use and the reduction of antimicrobial resistance.

“Everybody’s Mind is Different. Like, It’s Not Gonna Work the Same”: An Exploratory Study of Youth Perspectives on Mental Health

Youths’ perspectives, unique from adults, are shaped by their developmental experiences. This study contextualizes the meaning of mental health and being mentally healthy from adolescent perspectives. Four focus groups of students in grades 9 to 12 ( N = 27) were recruited from a school in an urban city. Participants were mainly female ( n = 22) and majority students of color (e.g., Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx; n = 21). Researchers interpreted the data through a pragmatic lens. Three main themes emerged: Describing Mental Health, Defining Mentally Healthy, and Integrating the Role of Social Environments. Two subthemes were also identified. The study highlights the significance of including youth contributions in defining terms such as mental health and being mentally healthy and underscores the importance of the environmental context to youth’s conceptualization of mental health, with a focus on resiliency-building factors. Findings have applicability for incorporating youth voice in interventions designed to improve youth mental health and foster positive youth development.

Post-16 students’ experience of practical science during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on students’ self-efficacy in practical work

This paper presents the findings from a detailed study investigating UK undergraduate students’ experience of practical science in their post-16 studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also examines their perceived confidence and preparedness in relation to areas of practical science skills at the start of their undergraduate courses. The study employed an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. Findings from student focus groups held at the end of their post-16 studies were used to support the development of a comprehensive skills audit and quantitative survey for incoming undergraduate students. Survey data were collected in September and October 2021 from 275 students commencing Biosciences, Chemistry, Physics and Natural Science degrees at two universities in England. The research is important because although almost all students had the opportunity to undertake practical work as part of their post-16 studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was considerable variation in students’ experiences. The data indicate that COVID-19-related closures of post-16 education establishments, ongoing social distancing requirements and the consequent removal of the assessment criteria for students to have ‘routinely and consistently’ undertaken each of the practical assessment requirements had implications for the development of students’ self-efficacy in relation to practical science. The research presents important considerations which are relevant for educators supporting students’ transition from post-16 to Higher Education and have the potential to impact on incoming students over many years to come.

The acute effect of heart rate monitor projection on exercise effort in school students

Heart rate (HR) monitoring during exercise represents a potentially useful strategy for teachers delivering physical education lessons. This study examined how projecting HR monitor data onto a screen acutely affected school students’ exercise intensity during a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. Twenty students (12.3 ± 0.9 years, male = 8, female = 12) from one primary school volunteered to participate. Using a randomised crossover design within a 4-week period, participants completed four sessions of HIIT with HR projection and four sessions of HIIT with no ability to view HR. During the HR projection condition all participants viewed their HR on a class screen in real-time, with a changing colour according to HR level. Target intensity was 90% of age-predicted maximum HR. Peak HR and time above 90% HR (RED) were collected in all sessions. Student focus groups and teacher interviews were conducted to gain perceptions around the effects of the projection. Peak HR ( p = 0.005, η2 effect size = 0.049) and RED ( p = 0.000, η2 effect size = 0.083) were significantly greater during the projected condition. Qualitative data indicated that projection improved student motivation to reach the target, and ignited competition amongst peers to work harder. Projecting HR data onto a screen can increase the acute exercise intensity of school students during HIIT. HR projection therefore represents a useful strategy for the delivery of exercise sessions with an emphasis on intensity, within physical education classes.

Exploring Knowledge and Perceptions of Level Learning Outcomes and Meta-Skills in a Creative Business School Context

Much has been written about the necessity for graduates to be aware of their skill set and transferability for the workplace. Degree programs in Scotland have long relied on guidance from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) on the taxonomy or wording of level learning outcomes (LLOs), which are the building blocks of degrees. More recently, a meta-skills framework created by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) offers clarity around meta-skills and suggests relevant wording, but these do not always align with academic taxonomies. The current research sought to explore the relationship between LLOs and meta-skills further from an academic and student perspective. A qualitative approach consisting of staff interviews and student focus groups from a range of creative business courses was adopted. A thematic analysis revealed gaps in staff and student understanding of LLOs and meta-skill terminology. The findings support the argument that skills should be linked more obviously to modular learning and recommendations are made as to how these could be communicated effectively to aid understanding around the transferability of university-acquired skills to the workplace.

Трансформация гражданственности студенчества в «переломное время» (на материалах фокус-групп и эссе студентов вузов Ростовской области в 2022 и 2024 гг.)

The article analyzes the opinions and civil positions of students of the Rostov region universities in the context of a Special Military Operation and a destructive ideological war of the collective West against the Russian Federation. Based on the materials of the focus group and essays of the Don students in October – November 2022 (8 groups) and in April 2024 (6 groups, 203 essays), the life-forming factors of student youth are described: life, peace, humanism, family and immediate environment, collectivism and mutual assistance, historical memory, small homeland, patriotism. The events and factors that influenced the moral and social state of the Don students are identified: confrontation with existential problems of war and peace, life and death; uncertainty of the future in the context of the inevitability of a Special Military Operation, cultural isolation of Russia, geopolitical risks and transformation of the world order. In the face of an existential choice, there is a rethinking of the value of family, an increase in the role of the immediate circle and small homeland. A targeted state policy of memory, glorification and memorization of the Special Military Operation participants creates the ground for an increase in the role of historical memory, the values of patriotism and citizenship, trust in the authorities and approval of political decisions. The perception of Western values becomes more critical; the severity of anxiety about the cultural, economic, political isolation of Russia is erased. The hypothesis about the existence of two models of citizenship of Russian students was confirmed: a) the first (civic consciousness as public-state patriotism) is associated with factors of sociocentrism, where there is an identity with one's family, ethnic group, small homeland, and civic identity with the Russian state is strengthened, associated with a sense of duty, responsibility and obligation to it; b) the second (global citizenship) is based on the principles of anthropocentrism with guarantees of observance of constitutional rights and freedoms, humanistic values and global citizenship, but without the individual's obligations to the state.

Improved processing workflow and student transparency with student mistreatment reports leads to graduation questionnaire data gains

Mistreatment of students has been historically documented as common in U.S. medical schools, but graduate questionnaire (GQ) data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) displays high numbers of students who have experienced mistreatment but not reported the incident. There are many reasons within the literature as to why students do not report their experiences, including fear of academic repercussion or a misunderstanding of what constitutes as mistreatment. Our institution found through GQ data that there was a shortcoming in understanding policies and knowledge of procedures associated with mistreatment, and student focus group responses showed that many students were not confident that their reports would receive follow-up on the part of the institution. These factors led to the formation of a task force to investigate our school’s workflow once a report of concern for mistreatment is received and examine measures to increase transparency to the student body that their reports are acted upon. We took measures to place a greater emphasis on communication with students during the mistreatment report workflow, as well as releasing name-blinded data within our weekly student communication emails regarding reports that had been processed and resolved. The results after one year of these efforts saw our GQ percentile data jump from falling between the 10th to 25th percentile to the 90th percentile for student awareness of mistreatment policies and from between the 25th to 50th percentile to between the 75th to 90th percentile for student knowledge of mistreatment procedures. These jumps in GQ figures provide insight for policy changes that could benefit other institutions struggling with building a safe environment for students to confidently report incidents of mistreatment with knowledge that their concerns are important and acted upon.

Why Students Participate (Or Not) in Dual Enrollment: Results from an Evaluation of North Carolina’s Career and College Promise

ABSTRACT Dual enrollment (DE), or college courses taken in high school, is becoming an increasingly common strategy to expand college access. While much of the research on DE participation focuses on student outcomes, few studies have identified the reasons why students choose to participate (or not) in DE. Drawing on student focus groups and interviews with high school staff from four public high schools, as well as focus groups with community college staff representing 12 school districts in North Carolina, we report findings on the motivations behind student participation (or lack thereof) in North Carolina’s Career and College Promise DE program. Our findings suggest that participation is influenced by several factors, including financial reasons, the opportunity to earn college credits to get ahead, personal interest or reward, and a desire to prepare for careers and college. Eligible non-participants often cited a lack of awareness, concerns over transferability of credits, and logistical challenges as reasons for not participating. Results from this study can assist educational leaders in devising strategies to expand access to DE programs and services.

Pedagogical content knowledge in school economics

How can creative teaching in economics education be identified and explored? A construct that assists understanding in this area is pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). It represents the merging of content and pedagogy to understand how particular topics or lessons are organised, represented, and adapted to students’ diverse interests and abilities. This paper draws upon the author's research that explores teaching and learning in school economics to discuss this epistemological concept that blends the traditionally separated knowledge bases of content and pedagogy. The research involved interviewing and observing school economics teachers and student focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. In this paper, I discuss the emergent theme of how teachers communicated their understanding of subject knowledge by developing their PCK to engage their students in learning. The considerations raised can assist lecturers, teachers, teacher educators, and researchers in enacting the teaching and learning process in economics and other disciplines.

Co-designing a Whole-school Solution Focused Programme With Students, Staff, and Parents and Carers to Improve Communication and Wellbeing

Schools are witnessing rapid increases in child mental wellbeing problems and demand cannot be met by specialist mental health services. School staff are not currently trained in approaches to support wellbeing, however upskilling staff in solution focused approaches offers a promising approach to improve communication and wellbeing. Whole-school approaches are recommended and programmes developed through co-design can promote greater acceptance and buy-in from staff and students. Aim: To co-design a whole-school solution focused programme with students, staff, parents and carers at a large, all-through school in England. Methods: the programme was developed using primarily qualitative methods informed by the human-centred design approach. Staff interviews (n=10), student focus groups (n=3), and extensive engagement work over a two-year period explored stakeholder needs. Subsequently, student and staff co-design workshops (n=4) aimed to develop the programme structure, content, and implementation strategy. Results: 101 participants contributed to the co-design process (65 staff; 21 students; 15 parents). Priorities included supporting staff to effectively manage behaviour and improving student-staff communication and overall school climate. A multi-component programme based on solution focused principles was developed, including whole-school activities, plus individual student work. A study testing the prototype is warranted.

Introducing a short-medium format, paediatric surgical podcast into the formal teaching resources of a medical school

BackgroundPodcasts are a popular form of extracurricular education. They provide a range of benefits for listeners including an opportunity for learning whilst mobile. We aimed to assess the interest of medical students in a podcast series as a part of their formal paediatric surgery teaching resources; to determine the optimal format for such a podcast and, following their introduction, if they were considered to have a beneficial effect on student learning. MethodWe conducted focus groups with medical students to explore interest in a podcast series and to determine the optimal format. Our findings guided production and introduction of 5 short-format podcast episodes as an adjunct to available formal learning resources. We ran student focus groups to evaluate the podcasts until data saturation was reached. Transcripts were analysed through thematic analysis by two researchers, who used the constant comparison process to produce a coding framework, through which they identified relevant themes. ResultsMedical students utilised outsourced medical podcasts as an adjunct to formal medical school curricula. All students supported the introduction of a podcast series into formal teaching resources to extend paediatric surgical teaching. The preferred medical podcast format was a short, conversational style podcast that begins with a clinical case and ends with a summary. The introduction of podcasts increased student engagement in, and understanding of, podcast topics. ConclusionMedical students enthusiastically embraced paediatric surgical podcasts in their curriculum. The addition of short-medium format podcasts enhances learning and engagement. Medical schools should utilize the teaching benefits that podcasts offer.

Student-to-Student Connections in Postdigital Networked Learning

AbstractAnalysing learning situations as entanglements of humans and things in networked learning links to contemporary topics that are at the forefront of the postdigital challenge. The literature broadly conceptualises researching networked learning through four different understandings of networks, as a network of people, as situations or contexts, as infrastructure, and as actant. In this study, we explored the fourth way of understanding networked learning by examining how students described their connections with other students while learning online. Using mediated discourse analysis, we analysed 12 student focus groups to gain insights into what supported their connections with other students, paying particular attention to the nature of the networks they engaged in. This led to the identification of six enablers of student-to-student connections: attention, access, collaboration, proximity, timely interaction, and purpose. We demonstrate how the networks described by students when providing accounts of their connections with others can be best described as networks of human and non-human actants. While current research acknowledges that learning is a result of the socio-material entanglements of physical, virtual, and human actants, it is limited in demonstrating how and why such networks are supportive of learning. Our study contributes by showing how the identified enablers and their interrelationships influenced the extent to which networks were found to be supportive of learning. As such, it also supports a more tangible way of articulating the relationship between networked learning and postdigital education.

A Research-Practice Partnership to Develop the R-CITY Multi-Component, Equity-Focused Social–Emotional Learning Intervention

There is growing interest in the integration of social–emotional learning (SEL) and equity approaches in schools, yet systematic research on how to blend these two frameworks is limited. In this article, we describe the process by which a research-practice partnership (RPP) collaborated to iteratively co-create a multi-component equity-focused SEL preventive intervention in the context of a politically charged landscape related to the ‘dual pandemics’ of racial injustice and COVID-19 in the early 2020s. We conducted a document review of informal data sources (e.g., meeting minutes, correspondence) and analyses of formal data sources (i.e., teacher interviews, student focus groups) to describe how we overcame challenges to form an RPP, to demonstrate our collaborative intervention development efforts, and to assess feedback on the contextual appropriateness of the intervention. We discuss lessons learned from our partnership efforts and reflect on future directions for RPP-driven work to advance equity-focused SEL in K-12 public schools.

“Take a Deep Breath and Re-Center the Student's Perspective”: Partnering Instructors and Disabled Students for Accessible Teaching

Background Because accessible and anti-ableist teaching is rarely prioritized in instructional development programs, a new initiative was developed at a large, public university. Launched in January 2022, it piloted strategies for shifting instructors’ mindsets about and pedagogical approaches to accessibility. Using a professional learning community model, disabled students served as course consultants to instructors, working closely together in a semester-long partnership. Objective The purpose of this study was to research the program's effects on the participating instructors. Method Multiple raters coded qualitative data collected over a period of five months from meeting notes spanning 30 instructor–student partnership meetings, four all-team meetings, two student focus groups, three instructor focus groups, and six online discussion boards. Results The results showed the mindset shifts and teaching strategies that emerged through this semester-long initiative. They also revealed the program elements that had the greatest impact on instructors. Conclusion This study demonstrates the role that disabled students can play in helping instructors learn about accessibility and how learning community models support substantive changes in teaching. Teaching Implications The results of this study should help psychology teachers and departments improve their courses and engage in ongoing development to improve access and equity in their courses.

Improved processing workflow and student transparency with student mistreatment reports leads to graduation questionnaire data gains

Mistreatment of students has been historically documented as common in U.S. medical schools, but graduate questionnaire (GQ) data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) displays high numbers of students who have experienced mistreatment but not reported the incident. There are many reasons within the literature as to why students do not report their experiences, including fear of academic repercussion or a misunderstanding of what constitutes as mistreatment. Our institution found through GQ data that there was a shortcoming in understanding policies and knowledge of procedures associated with mistreatment, and student focus group responses showed that many students were not confident that their reports would receive follow-up on the part of the institution. These factors led to the formation of a task force to investigate our school’s workflow once a report of concern for mistreatment is received and examine measures to increase transparency to the student body that their reports are acted upon. We took measures to place a greater emphasis on communication with students during the mistreatment report workflow, as well as releasing name-blinded data within our weekly student communication emails regarding reports that had been processed and resolved. The results after one year of these efforts saw our GQ percentile data jump from falling between the 10th to 25th percentile to the 90th percentile for student awareness of mistreatment policies and from between the 25th to 50th percentile to between the 75th to 90th percentile for student knowledge of mistreatment procedures. These jumps in GQ figures provide insight for policy changes that could benefit other institutions struggling with building a safe environment for students to confidently report incidents of mistreatment with knowledge that their concerns are important and acted upon.

A case study: exploring the impact of 3D printed models on cognitive integration during clinical skills training

Background: Cognitive integration occurs when trainees make conceptual connections between relevant knowledges and is known to improve learning. While several experimental studies have demonstrated how text and audio-visual instruction can be designed to enhance cognitive integration, clinical skills training in real-world contexts may require alternative educational strategies. Introducing three-dimensional (3D) printed models during clinical skills instruction may offer unique learning opportunities to support cognitive integration. Methods: Using case study methodology, we explore how learners and an instructor used 3D printed bones to augment their learning interactions during a clinical skills laboratory on shoulder on palpation, and to describe the instructional strategies with 3D printed bones that may support learning. Students (n = 21) worked in small groups and were given access to a 3D printed clavicle, scapula, and humerus. Data were collected through observation, a student focus group, and a semi-structured interview with the instructor. Thematic analysis to review and code the data and to generate themes. Results: We developed four themes that describe how 3D printed models were used in the classroom and how they may support cognitive integration: classroom interactivity, visualization of anatomy, integrating knowledge, and educational potential. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate several ways 3D printed models can augment how learners, instructors, and educational materials interact with one another and how readily learners make connections between different sources and types of knowledge. This research extends previous work by demonstrating how social learning processes and interactions with physical models can offer unique affordances that may support cognitive integration.

“It actually helped”: students’ perceptions of feedback helpfulness prior to and following a teacher professional learning intervention

This study investigated the effects of a teacher professional learning intervention, underpinned by a student-centred model of feedback, on student perceptions of feedback helpfulness. The study was conducted in the context of primary education English writing in Queensland, Australia. No overall differences in feedback perceptions of students in 13 intervention and 9 comparison schools were identified following the intervention. However, more detailed analyses revealed significantly greater increases in perceived helpfulness among intervention group students for six feedback strategies. This suggests the intervention changed teachers’ feedback practices, enhancing student perceptions of feedback helpfulness. Student focus group data provided valuable qualitative insights into student feedback perceptions. Overall findings highlight the interrelatedness between feedback strategies across the feedback cycle for enhancing student learning.

ANALYZING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONTENT-BASED LANGUAGE TEACHING (CBLT) APPROACHES IN INTEGRATING LANGUAGE LEARNING WITH SUBJECT MATTER INSTRUCTION IN TEFL CONTEXTS

This study examines the effectiveness of content-based language teaching (CBLT) in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) contexts, focusing on its impact on language proficiency and subject matter learning. CBLT integrates language instruction with academic content, aiming to enhance both linguistic skills and cognitive abilities simultaneously. The research employed a mixed-methods approach across multiple TEFL settings, including primary and secondary schools, to evaluate CBLTs efficacy. Quantitative data from pre-tests and post-tests, supplemented by surveys, measured improvements in language proficiency and academic achievement among students exposed to CBLT compared to traditional methods. Qualitative methods, such as classroom observations, teacher interviews, and student focus groups, provided deeper insights into instructional processes and learner experiences. Findings indicate significant enhancements in students language proficiency across speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in CBLT classrooms. Academic achievement in subjects like science, mathematics, and social studies also showed improvements, demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating language and content learning. Moreover, CBLT fostered higher levels of learner engagement and motivation by linking language skills with practical applications in academic contexts. Teacher perspectives highlighted the benefits of CBLT in promoting interdisciplinary learning and addressing diverse student needs, albeit with challenges related to curriculum integration and varying language proficiency levels. The study underscores the potential of CBLT to promote inclusive education by providing equitable access to language and content learning for all students. These findings contribute valuable insights to educational practices, emphasizing the importance of integrating language instruction with subject matter learning to enhance educational outcomes in TEFL contexts globally.

Supporting graduate students’ skills with simulated experiences in a professional foundation course

The population’s health depends on a well-educated nursing workforce that includes graduate-prepared nurses. However, the nation’s demand for graduate nurses in advanced practice, teaching, and research roles surpasses the supply. Graduate nursing educators can support student success by creating positive learning experiences for students at the beginning of their study programs. Initially, we created a pilot writing orientation, which was implemented for new students. Although the results of the pilot study showed significance with paired t-tests (p < .000; Cohen’s d = 1.21), the writing skills were not applied in long-term coursework. Therefore, a seven-week course was created to provide students with small-scale assignments, preparing them for complex future graduate coursework. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the skills learned in the course using student (n = 15) and faculty (n = 9) focus groups. A qualitative design using thematic analysis showed the following student themes: tools to improve scholarly writing, magnitude and feasibility of the project, graduate-level writing and professional presentations, clear expectations of achieving program requirements, and professional development using a digital e-portfolio. Faculty focus groups compared the skills of students who had completed the course and those who had not. Faculty themes included stronger writing skills despite the variation, resource availability, tool use, APA format skills, and writing synthesis skills development. Overall, the participants’ perspectives shared positive feedback with insightful suggestions for future course improvement.

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on 21st Century Skills in Teaching

This study is based on Project-Based Learning (PBL) in nurturing 21st-century skills among Class 9 mathematics students in Baglung, Nepal. Through teacher interviews and student focus groups, the study insight that PBL significantly enhances critical thinking by analyzing real-world data sets, improves problem-solving through practical applications in algebra and geometry, fosters collaboration in group projects related to mensuration and statistics, and strengthens communication skills through presenting mathematical solutions and findings. Challenges such as resource limitations and teacher training needs were noted, emphasizing the importance of adapting PBL to the local context. The study bridges a research gap in PBL implementation in Nepal and offers insights for integrating PBL effectively into mathematics education, paving the way for further research and improvements in pedagogical practices.