Student Focus Groups Research Articles

Cycles of Fugitivity: How Black Teacher Fugitive Space Shapes Black Teacher Pedagogies

ABSTRACT As conservatives ban the teaching of Black history and critical understandings of race across the country, Black teachers are turning again to fugitive pedagogies, or subversive ways of teaching, to counter anti-blackness and imagine the world anew. This study drew on data from interviews, classroom observations, and student focus groups to demonstrate how a Black teacher fugitive professional learning space helped to motivate and inform the pedagogies of a Black secondary school teacher. Using the theoretical framing of BlackCrit and the concept of fugitivity, I share how one teacher reflected on and made sense of how his participation in this professional learning space impacted his pedagogical practice. The research provides insight into how Black teachers learn to use fugitive pedagogies to create Black-affirming collective learning spaces for their students.

Understanding the Teaching and Learning of Fundamental Movement Skills in the Primary Physical Education Setting: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: Evidence demonstrates that many school children fail to master fundamental movement skills (FMS). Little is known about the teaching and learning of FMS in Hong Kong. This study aimed to capture voices from both teachers and students to better understand the current FMS practices in primary physical education Methods: Semistructured interviews with physical education teachers and focus groups with students were conducted. Thematic analysis of teacher transcriptions was performed. Student focus groups were analyzed using a framework approach, guided by TARGET (i.e., Task, Autonomy, Recognition, Grouping, Evaluation, and Time). Results: Several “teacher” level themes were developed: Self-efficacy (mis)judgment, limited pedagogical content knowledge, ineffective instructional and assessment strategies, insufficient teacher training, and deprioritization of skill development in physical education. Students perceived the need for a more student-centered approach to the teaching of FMS. Conclusions: Results highlighted the need for a different approach to initial and continuous teacher education in FMS. Further investigation into the most effective forms of teacher education is necessary, in order to improve the teaching and learning of FMS in schools.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly About Insta Shopping: A Qualitative Study

Instagram, as many social media platforms, has been increasingly used by users to shop for goods and products from business or other individuals. Recently, studies have shed lights on acceptance and usage of Insta shopping from users’ perspectives by following popular technology models, such as technology acceptance model (TAM) and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). However, more rich and in-depth insights about using Instagram for commercial purposes within a certain context are yet to be discovered. Therefore, this study aims at discovering experiences and interactions with Insta shopping, the factors and the drivers that impact users’ acceptance of Insta shopping, the weight of each factor (degree of consensus among participants), and their direction (positive, negative, or both). The study followed a qualitative approach, by creating four homogeneous focus groups (six participants each) of IT students in United Arab Emirates (UAE) universities. The data analysis approach considered is an axial coding technique as part of the grounded theory, which includes open coding, axial coding, and selective coding stages. The results revealed that the time factor, trust in Insta shops (and its drivers such as reviews, word of mouth, trading license, and others), distrust (and its drivers such as fake comments and reviews, extremely low prices, and others), and the associated risks (financial for losing money, security because of online payments, and some privacy issues) can impact users’ behaviors toward Insta shopping. Also, the study classified participants’ viewpoints and experiences’ themes into advantages, disadvantages, and issues that are associated with Insta shopping. The study indicated theoretical and practical implications and suggests future research directions.

How Far Is Progress? Gender Dimensions of Student Enrollment in Higher Education in Ghana: The Case of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Despite the World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st Century that education is the ultimate support of human rights, and that access and participation remain key catalysts to accelerating equal educational opportunities for all, females continue to trail their male counterparts in educational outcomes across sub-Saharan Africa. This study focuses on the Ghanaian context and assesses the gender dimensions of student enrollment in higher education, highlighting the disparities therein. We adopt a typical case study design, and a mixed method approach, involving quantitative analysis of student enrollment data, qualitative interviews, and focus group discussions with administrators and students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. We find generally low female participation across all colleges of the university, except for the College of Health Sciences. We also find low female participation across three dimensions: qualified applicants, admissions, and enrollment. The causes of disparity in the dimensions of student enrollment are rooted in four main factors: institutional, socio-cultural, economic, and awareness of STEM policy and opportunities. The present findings have implications for the implementation of STEM and other gender policies at both the pre-tertiary and tertiary levels of education across sub-Saharan Africa.

Insights on information literacy from social studies classrooms in the southeast

Living and learning in the United States in 2023 is different than it was decades ago. The proliferation of mis/disinformation vis-a-vis digital means is causing “truth decay,” with an increase in disagreement amongst citizens about what is opinion and fact. Such disagreements constrain opportunities for healthy democratic dialogue. To repair and rebuild dialogue, citizens need information literacy. This article draws upon qualitative data from four social studies eleventh grade classrooms, including teacher and student interviews and focus groups, to better understand the contemporary landscape of teaching and learning information literacy in today’s digital age. Analysis of findings speak to five interrelated insights from practice within the information literacy teaching and learning landscape of one high school context in the southeast of the United States.

Student’s agency in English as Foreign Language learning in a Virtual Environment: An Interaction Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about new challenges for class interaction and for English as a Foreign Language teaching instruction in general, and opened a whole world of opportunities to learn about virtual-mediated instruction and about learning altogether. As a reaction to the new social conditions, alternative spaces, and ways of mediating instruction through the use of technology and digital resources were created and promoted in the quest for teaching and learning. As such, this multimodal interaction analysis inquired into the qualities of interaction taking place in an online course of advanced English at a teaching credential undergraduate program at a private university in Bogotá, and the affordances and limitations that such interactions presented for agency, engagement, and ultimately, learning as an effect of communication. To such an end, class observations, student focus groups, and interviews on teachers were conducted. The findings offered insights on the multiple ways students and the teacher resorted to their semiotic resources and communicative modes to configure meaning, construct knowledge, and relate to one another in a virtual environment. Mainly, however, it encourages a debate about the role that teachers play in designing and implementing communicative environments to enrich the teaching and learning experience.

Assessing perspectives of a global health area of concentration within the PharmD curriculum

IntroductionWhile global health education in pharmacy expands, limited research has described the outcome of completing a global health area of concentration on career decisions, perceptions on cultural sensitivity, health disparity awareness, and global health competencies among pharmacists and students. MethodsThis mixed methods study enrolled 21 graduates and 17 student pharmacists who participated in a global health concentration at one school of pharmacy in the United States. Data sources included graduate interviews and surveys, student pharmacist focus groups, and global health competency self-assessments. ResultsFive themes emerged among graduates: (1) skills were applicable to diverse settings, (2) early exposure to underserved care prepared graduates for current practice, (3) participation impacted the lens through which graduates viewed careers, (4) participation influenced patient care in current practice, and (5) graduates gained insight on complex global health issues. Three themes were identified among student pharmacists: (1) the program provided opportunities to personalize education, (2) participants gained insight through hands-on experience, and (3) participants developed new perspectives on approaching underserved care. Many graduates (77.4%) currently practiced in an underserved setting. Graduates and fourth professional year students reported improvement in all seven global health competency domains. ConclusionsA global health concentration in pharmacy curricula can facilitate skills and global health competencies that are applicable across a wide variety of patient care contexts. This concentrated experience provided opportunities to further develop career interests and personalize education, creating a cadre of pharmacists dedicated towards addressing health disparities and serving the underserved.

M-learning in the process of media education and foreign language learning

The purpose of this article is to study the possibilities of English-language mobile applications for media education which are available on the Google Play platform. The main emphasis is on their didactic potential, in particular on their ability to build media literacy skills and improve English language proficiency. The application called Journalism & Mass Communication by Edutainment Ventures — Making Games People Play was chosen as the object of study. This choice is grounded in the attractiveness and successful experience of its use. Other projects focusing on working with English-language texts and expanding vocabulary have also been researched. These ones include Journalism by SQSTECH, Journalism Textbook by Courses Books, Journalism Course by APLUS, Media and Information Literacy by PERCDC Learnhub, Journalism Dictionary Offline by EasyGoing and Journalism Dictionary by Pocket Dictionary. A focus group of students of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University who are majoring in 061 Journalism at various levels of higher education was involved to evaluate the functionality of the applications. In total, there were 17 people in the group, including 12 Bachelor's students, 4 Master's students, and 1 PhD student. The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the application options was determined by analysing the results of a survey conducted among focus group participants. A general analysis of applications for media literacy and media education shows that mobile learning is a relevant and effective tool in the educational process. However, it cannot completely replace traditional education. The diversity of functionality, approaches to content, and audience engagement underscores the importance of creating mobile applications that cater for specific educational programs. Mobile learning has great potential to improve the effectiveness of extracurricular education. The use of mobile applications in media education and learning English has significant didactic potential. The results of the study confirm the feasibility of an integrated approach to learning, which combines the study of a subject with learning a foreign language. Since the study of the English language is gaining relevance in Ukraine, the combination of these two directions is considered to be well grounded.

Staff and student experiences of hybrid teaching in a pandemic-impacted context

This paper presents the findings of qualitative and quantitative research of staff and students’ experience of hybrid teaching at the University of Bristol during the 2020/2021 academic year. Hybrid teaching was added as an additional mode of teaching and learning as a response to circumstances caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The research analyses data collected from student focus groups, and staff and student questionnaires. The benefits and drawbacks of hybrid teaching are presented in relation to trends in the higher education sector. The paper demonstrates the value of multi-method approaches to data collection to test the validity of institutional use of hybrid teaching with reference to the literature. The research contributes to a gap in empirical evidence and suggests practical and theoretical parameters for considering the use of hybrid.

South African health sciences students’ perspectives on utilisation, constraints and future possibilities of mHealth and e-Learning

The global COVID-19 pandemic has added considerable complexity to the education and training of health care professionals as well as patient care. Literature suggests that e-Learning and mobile health (mHealth) technologies have great potential, but research studies are sparse, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The paper presents South African health science students’ perceptions of the importance, relevance, constraints and future possibilities of e-Learning and mHealth. Students from five universities participated in a modified Delphi. The first phase of student focus groups and interviews (n = 5), established baseline experiences and perceptions of e-Learning and mHealth during and post-COVID-19. These findings informed the design of an online survey (n = 155) for the second phase of the study. The majority of students were familiar with e-Learning, less so with mHealth; however most believed both to be a beneficial complement to theoretical and clinical teaching. Reasons for an integrated Learning Management System (LMS), also known as virtual learning environments, include increased flexibility, access and enhanced learning; and issues of anxiety, reduced interactivity, an absence of context and a lack of discipline- or profession-specific features as reasons against. The perceived importance of particular features of e-Learning and mHealth tools were highlighted. These findings will contribute to the redesign of online work-integrated curricula and the development of an inclusive, student-centred, health sciences-specific integrated and multi-modal LMS directed towards student-centred learning while addressing concerns around the digital divide and social justice.

How decisions are made: Antibiotic stewardship in dentistry.

We performed a preimplementation assessment of workflows, resources, needs, and antibiotic prescribing practices of trainees and practicing dentists to inform the development of an antibiotic-stewardship clinical decision-support tool (CDST) for dentists. We used a technology implementation framework to conduct the preimplementation assessment via surveys and focus groups of students, residents, and faculty members. Using Likert scales, the survey assessed baseline knowledge and confidence in dental providers' antibiotic prescribing. The focus groups gathered information on existing workflows, resources, and needs for end users for our CDST. Of 355 dental providers recruited to take the survey, 213 (60%) responded: 151 students, 27 residents, and 35 faculty. The average confidence in antibiotic prescribing decisions was 3.2 ± 1.0 on a scale of 1 to 5 (ie, moderate). Dental students were less confident about prescribing antibiotics than residents and faculty (P < .01). However, antibiotic prescribing knowledge was no different between dental students, residents, and faculty. The mean likelihood of prescribing an antibiotic when it was not needed was 2.7 ± 0.6 on a scale of 1 to 5 (unlikely to maybe) and was not meaningfully different across subgroups (P = .10). We had 10 participants across 3 focus groups: 7 students, 2 residents, and 1 faculty member. Four major themes emerged, which indicated that dentists: (1) make antibiotic prescribing decisions based on anecdotal experiences; (2) defer to physicians' recommendations; (3) have limited access to evidence-based resources; and (4) want CDST for antibiotic prescribing. Dentists' confidence in antibiotic prescribing increased by training level, but knowledge did not. Trainees and practicing dentists would benefit from a CDST to improve appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing.

Pre-University engagement and education for sustainable development in Aruba: The Academic Foundation Year

Purpose Universities of Small Island States (SIS) have the potential to fulfill a crucial role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also face barriers to local capacity building. The University of Aruba partly addresses these challenges through the development of The Academic Foundation Year (AFY), a one-year pre-university program aiming to optimally equip students for higher education. This study aims to assess to what extent the program can foster the local embeddedness of the students in ecology, culture and history and an understanding of opportunities and challenges for sustainable development in SIS. Design/methodology/approach The authors provide examples of how the program incorporates education for sustainable development and how it emphasizes experiential learning. In addition, quantitative survey data and qualitative analysis of focus group meetings are used to reflect on the program’s achievements and its potential for further development. Findings The survey results suggest that AFY courses not only increase knowledge but also change students’ perceptions regarding sustainability. Indeed, key impacts emerging from the student focus group related to both academic preparation and engagement with sustainability. Reflections by teachers emphasized the importance of experiential learning, an expansive view of the SDGs and preparing students as citizens. Originality/value This study highlights that the program could provide a starting point for the development of similar initiatives in other SIS, the common basis being the fostering of sustainability literacy and social adoption of the SDGs.

Exploring mechanisms andcontexts ina Peer Education Project to improve mental health literacy inschools inEngland: a qualitative realist evaluation.

Poor adolescent mental health calls for universal prevention. The Mental Health Foundation's 'Peer Education Project' equips older students ('peer educators') to teach younger students ('peer learners') about mental health. The peer-led lessons cover defining good and bad mental health, risk and protective factors, self-care, help-seeking and looking after one another. While previous pre-post evaluations have suggested effectiveness, the mechanisms through which the intervention improves mental health literacy remain unclear. We purposively recruited seven secondary schools across England from 2020 to 2022 and collected data through five observations, 12 staff interviews and 15 student focus groups (totalling 134 students; 46 peer educators aged 14-18 years and 88 peer learners aged 11-13 years). Our realist analysis adopted retroductive logic, intertwining deductive and inductive approaches to test the initial programme theory against insights arising from the data. We developed Context-Mechanisms-Outcome configurations related to four themes: (i) modelling behaviours and forming supportive relationships, (ii) relevant and appropriate content, (iii) peer educators feeling empowered and (iV) a school culture that prioritises mental health support. Our refined programme theory highlights key mechanisms, contexts conducive to achieving the outcomes and ways to improve training, recruitment and delivery to maximise effectiveness for similar peer-led initiatives.

Demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity: an embedded phenomenological case study of the Magic City Acceptance Academy

Our research team explored a political campaign that targeted the Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA) as the ‘first transgender public school in the South’. Located near Birmingham, Alabama, MCAA opened in fall 2021 as one of the first LGBTQ + affirming charter schools in the United States. In spring 2022, gubernatorial candidate Tim James launched a series of negative TV and radio ads that defamed MCAA, ostensibly to generate votes from the ultra-conservate right wing of the Republican party. Our team conducted an embedded case study of the Tim James campaign as part of a multifaceted phenomenological case study of MCAA. We drew data from media coverage, key informant interviews, and a student focus group. Study findings revealed three themes: concerns for student safety, community support, and unanticipated benefits. Findings further suggested that Tim James’ overt heterosexist actions inherently endorsed binary framings of sexuality and gender, which served his political interests and sought to normalize and privilege cisnormativity and heterosexuality while marginalizing and excluding the needs of LGBTQ + students. The hate speech comprising James’ TV and radio ads reflects anti-LGBTQ + ideology and may serve as a preview of future campaigns that seek to demonize the LGBTQ + community for political gain.

Higher education students perceptions of NNESTs' language proficiency: will it affect their learning effectiveness?

Increasingly, higher education institutions are giving more attention to the language proficiency of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) due to their growing numbers. Despite a recent surge in the literature on NNESTs in the global discourse of English language teaching (ELT), the impacts of NNESTs' language competency within the higher education systems of their countries remain woefully under-examined. Of particular concern is the absence of students' voices. Therefore, this study explores higher education students' perception of NNESTs' language proficiency. Data was collected through class observations of five NNESTs and followed-up semi-structured interviews with five student focus groups recruited randomly from each class. Our results show that while students concur that NNESTs' language proficiency contributes to their learning performance in class, other factors (e.g., the teacher's effective teaching style and charming personality, relaxed class atmosphere, the difficulty level of the teaching materials, and the learners' proficiency level) also perceived to play key roles in boosting students' class learning effectiveness. The findings highlight the need to include students in the design of teaching approaches, course design, and curricula, as well as the reflection process about NNESTs' language proficiency.

Factors contributing to realizing valuable goals of students with dyslexia in higher education.

When students with dyslexia enter higher education, studying often creates challenges at different levels. Universities differ in the way they facilitate students with dyslexia in their educational careers. This study focusses on studying with dyslexia from a value-driven perspective. The aim of the study is to investigate valuable goals of students with dyslexia in higher education and the conversion factors that are stimulating and inhibiting in the realization of these valuable goals. Data were collected during focus groups: five focus groups of students with dyslexia (23 participants) and two focus groups of student counsellors (10 participants). Important values for students are their personal development and to prove they can succeed at university level. Not all students are able or being enabled to show their knowledge and skills and to grow within the educational system. Different personal and environmental factors are described that inhibit or facilitate the realization of valuable goals. The results are presented from two perspectives: of students and student counsellors. The implications of the results and guidelines for future research are discussed.

The Law in the Community Model of Clinical Legal Education: Assessing the Impact on Key Stakeholders

This article examines a model of clinical legal education where a university law school works in partnership with an external organisation. The partnership enables law students to attend the offices of Citizens Advice during their law degree and under the guidance and supervision of their staff, advise their service users on a range of legal issues. Using data collected from a research study involving student focus groups and semi structured interviews with the Citizens Advice supervisors, this research contributes to the understanding of whether, and how, this model impacts upon law students, Citizens Advice and the local community. This study contributes to the knowledge on the value of this model of clinical legal education from both a pedagogical and social justice perspective. The research raises questions as to how a partnership between a university and external organisation can overcome challenges, ensuring an equivalent clinical experience for all students and that effective feedback is provided to students. The results indicate that there are a clear set of pedagogical benefits to the students and benefits to Citizens Advice with regards to the service they can provide to the local community. The authors argue that this module enables students to engage in transformative and impactful work, whilst obtaining first-hand experience of the access to justice challenges (and other socio-economic issues) faced by their local community. The study will be of interest to clinics who incorporate, or intend to incorporate, an externship model in their curriculum, both in Europe and beyond.

“A springboard back to life”: The voices of people with mental health conditions on the process and outcomes of a pre-academic arts program

According to recent United Nations reports, actions are needed to improve the educational, occupational, and social justice of people with mental health conditions. This qualitative study examined a related innovative initiative in Israel, the Garage pre-academic arts program for people with mental health conditions. Based on the constructivist grounded theory approach, service users' voices on the program’s contribution and its change-process factors were collected via six focus groups of students and graduates from three academic cohorts (N = 51). The analysis resulted in “a springboard back to life” theoretical model, presenting the program’s process and outcomes. Participants highlighted components of the approach, the framework, and the arts in the program that contributed to their mental health, personal recovery, and integration into post-secondary education and work. The theoretical model provides valuable knowledge to program developers and policymakers that may promote the human rights and social inclusion of people with mental health conditions.

Beyond whole-school approaches to sustainability: Social practices and practice architectures at secondary schools in England

The education sector is an important component of the UK's net zero strategy, in terms of both the carbon footprint of school buildings and operations, and the opportunities to teach about environmental issues and empower climate action. However, school sustainability is often narrowly defined around individual choices and behaviours by different school stakeholders, rather than the broader patterns of social practices. This qualitative study of secondary schools in England involved stakeholder interviews and student focus groups at twelve schools in Greater London and the Thames Valley Region (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire) where 142 people participated in this research, including teachers, students, parents, governors and school staff (leadership, facilities, finance). School sustainability was explored through the lens of social practice theory, and three bundles of practices and arrangements were identified: teaching/learning, catering/eating, movement/travel. Whole-school approaches to sustainability were reframed through the semantic, material and social spaces identified in the theory of practice architectures. School sustainability requires a substantial investment into retrofitting school buildings, but it also needs to be woven in the culture of a school – firmly on the agenda of the governors and leadership team, parallel to an issue like safeguarding – and supported by clearly identified roles and relationships in each institution. This research is aimed at environmental educators and researchers wishing to apply insights from social theory to develop more effective whole-school approaches to sustainability. This research also reveals a potential divide between state and private schools when it comes to environmental education, empowerment and action.

Equitable STEM+CS learning experiences for girls of color: nurturing an independent learning approach via a learning ecosystem

PurposeThere is a critical need to understand how to attract Black girls and other girls of color to the science, technology, engineering, math, and computer science (STEM+CS) field. This study aims to look at the design and implementation of a CS learning ecosystem that supports girls of color in acquiring critical CS skills starting in middle school.Design/methodology/approachThis mixed-method case study included 53 girls, between the ages of 11 and 13, in four US middle schools. Study methods included the analysis of a pre-program student survey, longitudinal interviews and focus groups, weekly observations and computing artifacts.FindingsProgram participants were interested in CS, were confident in their ability to learn CS, had prior coding and CS experience and had parents and teachers who encouraged them to learn CS. But some students showed dependent learning behaviors while engaging in CS activities. These included relying on instructors and being reticent to make mistakes–behaviors that limit learning. The CS learning ecosystem supported students as they shifted from applying dependent learning approaches to applying independent learning approaches. Instructors sustained a growth mindset and supported productive struggle as students learned CS skills.Originality/valueA CS learning system supported equitable learning experiences and helped students develop independent learning behaviors that led to deeper engagement in CS.