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Identifying student engagement challenges in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences
Abstract

Identifying student engagement challenges in the Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Dominique Parrish, Karen Walton, Gerard Stoyles, Patrea R Andersen, Alison Bell, David Kampers and Lauren Rush
Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Incorporated (HERDSA) Conference: Connections in Higher Education, 35th (Hobart, Australia, 02-Jul-2012–05-Jul-2012)
2012
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http://www.herdsa.org.au/View
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Abstract

Other Education
Student Experience Questionnaire data from 2009 highlighted that Health and Behavioural Sciences (HBS) students recognised the 'good teaching' that they received and the appropriate amount of time that they were given to understand the things they had to learn. However, they also believed that the workload they had was too heavy, that there was a lot of pressures on them and that the volume of work they had hindered their comprehension. These results suggested that students were experiencing stressors that were encumbering their academic success that may not be related to pedagogy or content, but rather learning and teaching strategies, policies and curriculum. The researchers were also keen to investigate the impact of other home and work based responsibilities on success. This project aimed to identify the factors that hinder the success of HBS students and in doing so develop recommendations to address these threats. An individual facilitator conducted seven focus groups with students from the three schools (health sciences, psychology and nursing, midwifery and indigenous health) across a period of two weeks in November 2011. Focus group discussions were recorded using a digital recorder, transcribed verbatim and analysed. Preliminary results highlight three key challenges across the seven focus groups: learning challenges; financial challenges; and personal and family related challenges including balancing work and life. Identified strategies to address these challenges include: delivery options, learning support and student engagement. These findings will inform future learning and teaching planning, policy and practices in HBS.

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