Research Article
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Developing and refining a participatory educative model with Health Science students – A case study of practice

Year 2015, Special Issue 2015 I, 61 - 73, 30.11.2015
https://doi.org/10.17275/per.15.spi.1.6

Abstract

Critical
tertiary educators have a responsibility to facilitate awareness in their
students of the manner in which hegemonic societal structures of power are
perpetuated throughout society. Modelling and participatory engagement with
students is fundamental to redesigning our world for the better and building
their capacity.  This paper focuses on a
participatory education research model being developed by a team of academics
who teach in the field of health promotion. Core to this area are concepts of
community empowerment and participation. As educators we operate from the
premise that unless we are able to share the construction of knowledge with our
students, we impoverish both teaching and our (educational) research. This said
we operate in an environment where participatory ethics are trumped by models
of objective non-participatory research; with barriers to shared explorations
needing to be overcome. This paper explores the development of a participatory
education research (PER) model. One project focuses on students beginning to
develop an understanding of their own learning styles. The second project
involves students developing understandings of the negative and often damaging
impact of weight bias particularly by health professionals. In both cases an
experimental design has been used with some adaptions to include students as
co-participants. Four core principles of a participatory educational research
model are emerging. These are that both teachers and students are “researched”;
individual feedback of results of research is provided; and linear integration
of learning from co-participation spans across the degree with levels of
co-participation deepening from first to final years.

Thanks

Many thanks to Kim Dell (undergraduate research assistant) for her assistance in completing this manuscript

References

  • Akrami, N., & Ekehammar, B. (2005). The association between implicit and explicit prejudice: The moderating role of motivation to control prejudiced reactions. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 46(4), 361-366.
  • Allison D., Basile V. & Yuker, H. (1991). The measurement of attitudes toward and beliefs about obese persons. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10:599–607.
  • Bacon, L. (2010). Health at every size: The surprising truth about your weight. Dallas: BenBella Books.
  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Oxford, England: Prentice-Hall.
  • Bruffee, K. A. (1999). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Bruner, J. S. (1975). From communication to language: A psychological
  • perspective. Cognition, 3, 255–287.
  • Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E. & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. London: Learning Skills Research Centre.
  • Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24: 385-396.
  • Crandall, C. (1994). Prejudice Against Fat People: Ideology and Self-Interest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5): 882-894.
  • D’Amore, A., James, S., & Mitchell, E. (2012). Learning styles of first-year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students: A cross-sectional survey utilising the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Nurse Education Today, 32, 506-515.
  • Dunn, R. (1984). Learning style: State of the science. Theory into Practice, 23(1), 10-19.
  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury Press.
  • Gaesser, G. A. (2013). Big fat lies: The truth about your weight and your health. California: Gurze Books.
  • Gagnon-Girouard M-P., Gegin, C. , Provencher, V., Tremblay, A., Mongeau, L. , Boivin, S. & Lemieux, S. (2010). Psychological Impact of a “Health-at-Every-Size” Intervention on weight-Preoccupied Overweight/Obese Women. Journal of Obesity, Article ID 928097:1-12.
  • Giddens, A. (1984). The Constitution of Society : Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  • Giles-Corti, B., Timperio, A., Cutt, H., Pikora, T. J., Bull, F. C., Knuiman, M., Bulsara, M., Van Niel, K. & Shilton, T. (2006). Development of a reliable measure of walking within and outside the local neighborhood: RESIDE’s Neighborhood Physical Activity Questionnaire. Preventive medicine, 42(6):455-459.
  • Glaser, J., & Knowles, E. D. (2008). Implicit motivation to control prejudice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(1), 164-172.
  • Grinyer, A. (2009). The Anonymity of Research Participants: Assumptions, Ethics, and Practicalities. Pan, 12(1), 49-58.
  • Khanlou, N., & Peter, E. (2005). Participatory action research: considerations for ethical review. Social Science & Medicine, 60(10), 2333-2340.
  • King, S., Garrett, R., Wrench, A., & Lewis, N. (2011). The loneliness of relocating: Does the transition to university pose a significant health risk for rural and isolated students? Paper presented at the First Year in Higher Education Conference, Brisbane, Australia. http://www.fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers11/FYHE-2011/content/pdf/16B.pdf
  • Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
  • Kusenbach, M. (2005). Across the Atlantic: current issues and debates in US ethnography. Qualitative Social Research, 6(3).
  • Labonte, R. (1994). Health Promotion and Empowerment: Reflections on Professional Practice. Health Education Quarterly, 21(2), 253-268.
  • Leahy, C. M., Peterson, R. P., Wilson, I. G., Newbury, J. W., Tonkin, A. L., & Turnbull, D. (2010). Distress levels and self-reported treatment rates for medicine, law psychology and mechanical engineering tertiary students: Cross sectional study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44, 608-615.
  • Major B, Hunger J, Bunyan D & Miller C (2014). The ironic effects of weight stigma. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 51:74-80.
  • Manolis C., Burns D.J., Assudani, R., & Chinta, R. (2013). Assessing experiential learning styles: a methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb learning style inventory. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 44-52.
  • McGrath, R. (2010). A critical self-reflection of teaching “disability” to international business students, Journal of International Education in Business, Vol.3, no.1/2, pp.20-33
  • McGrath, R., Young J. & Adams C. (2015). Assessing, sharing and responding to learning styles in Bachelor of Health Science students and their teachers. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi Disciplinary Journal. (In Review)
  • Nel, N. & Romm, N. (2014). Editor’s Forward. Participatory Education Research, 1(1): I-II.
  • Puhl, R. & Brownell, K. (2010). Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults. Obesity, 14(10):1802–1815.
  • Puntambekar, S. & Hubscher, R. (2005). Tools for scaffolding students in a complex learning environment: What have we gained and what have we missed?. Educational psychologist, 40(1), 1-12.
  • Reason, P. (2006). Choice and quality in action research practice. Journal of management inquiry, 15(2): 187-203.
  • Reason, P. & Bradbury, H. (2008). The SAGE handbook of action research: Participatory inquiry and practice. London: Sage.
  • Romm, N. (2014). Active and Accountable Social Inquiry: Implications and Examples. Participatory Education Research, 1(2):13-20.
  • Ryan, J. & Viete, R. (2009). Respectful interactions: learning with international students in the English-speaking academy. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(3):303-314.
  • Seligman, M. E. (1972). Learned helplessness. Annual review of medicine, 23(1), 407-412.
  • Sherwood, J. & Edwards, T. (2006). Decolonisation: A critical step for improving Aboriginal health. Contemporary Nurse, 22(2), 178-190.
  • Stotland, S. & Zuroff, D. (1990). A new measure of weight locus of control: the Dieting Beliefs Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(1-2):191–203.
  • Taines, C. (2010). Educational or Social Reform? Students Inform the Debate Over Improving Urban Schools. Education and Urban Society. doi: 10.1177/0013124510392566
  • Tennant, R., Hiller, L., Fishwick, R., Platt, S., Joseph, S., Weich, S., Parkinson, J., Secker, J. & Stewart-Brown, S. (2007). The Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health and Quality of life Outcomes, 5(1):63-75.
  • Vries, H. D., Backbier, E., Kok, G., & Dijkstra, M. (1995). The Impact of Social Influences in the Context of Attitude, Self‐Efficacy, Intention, and Previous Behavior as Predictors of Smoking Onset. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25(3): 237-257.
  • World Health Organisation (1986). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index.html
  • Young, J. (2004). “Becoming different”: accessing university from a low socioeconomic community—barriers and motivators. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 17(5), 425-469.
  • Zoghi, M., Brown, T., Williams, B., Roller, L., Jaberzadeh, S., & Palermo, C. (2010). Learning style preferences of Australian health science students”. Allied Health, 39, 95-103.
Year 2015, Special Issue 2015 I, 61 - 73, 30.11.2015
https://doi.org/10.17275/per.15.spi.1.6

Abstract

References

  • Akrami, N., & Ekehammar, B. (2005). The association between implicit and explicit prejudice: The moderating role of motivation to control prejudiced reactions. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 46(4), 361-366.
  • Allison D., Basile V. & Yuker, H. (1991). The measurement of attitudes toward and beliefs about obese persons. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 10:599–607.
  • Bacon, L. (2010). Health at every size: The surprising truth about your weight. Dallas: BenBella Books.
  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Oxford, England: Prentice-Hall.
  • Bruffee, K. A. (1999). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • Bruner, J. S. (1975). From communication to language: A psychological
  • perspective. Cognition, 3, 255–287.
  • Coffield, F., Moseley, D., Hall, E. & Ecclestone, K. (2004). Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: A systematic and critical review. London: Learning Skills Research Centre.
  • Cohen, S., Kamarck, T., & Mermelstein, R. (1983). A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 24: 385-396.
  • Crandall, C. (1994). Prejudice Against Fat People: Ideology and Self-Interest. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66(5): 882-894.
  • D’Amore, A., James, S., & Mitchell, E. (2012). Learning styles of first-year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students: A cross-sectional survey utilising the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. Nurse Education Today, 32, 506-515.
  • Dunn, R. (1984). Learning style: State of the science. Theory into Practice, 23(1), 10-19.
  • Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury Press.
  • Gaesser, G. A. (2013). Big fat lies: The truth about your weight and your health. California: Gurze Books.
  • Gagnon-Girouard M-P., Gegin, C. , Provencher, V., Tremblay, A., Mongeau, L. , Boivin, S. & Lemieux, S. (2010). Psychological Impact of a “Health-at-Every-Size” Intervention on weight-Preoccupied Overweight/Obese Women. Journal of Obesity, Article ID 928097:1-12.
  • Giddens, A. (1984). The Constitution of Society : Outline of the Theory of Structuration. Cambridge: Polity Press.
  • Giles-Corti, B., Timperio, A., Cutt, H., Pikora, T. J., Bull, F. C., Knuiman, M., Bulsara, M., Van Niel, K. & Shilton, T. (2006). Development of a reliable measure of walking within and outside the local neighborhood: RESIDE’s Neighborhood Physical Activity Questionnaire. Preventive medicine, 42(6):455-459.
  • Glaser, J., & Knowles, E. D. (2008). Implicit motivation to control prejudice. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(1), 164-172.
  • Grinyer, A. (2009). The Anonymity of Research Participants: Assumptions, Ethics, and Practicalities. Pan, 12(1), 49-58.
  • Khanlou, N., & Peter, E. (2005). Participatory action research: considerations for ethical review. Social Science & Medicine, 60(10), 2333-2340.
  • King, S., Garrett, R., Wrench, A., & Lewis, N. (2011). The loneliness of relocating: Does the transition to university pose a significant health risk for rural and isolated students? Paper presented at the First Year in Higher Education Conference, Brisbane, Australia. http://www.fyhe.com.au/past_papers/papers11/FYHE-2011/content/pdf/16B.pdf
  • Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
  • Kusenbach, M. (2005). Across the Atlantic: current issues and debates in US ethnography. Qualitative Social Research, 6(3).
  • Labonte, R. (1994). Health Promotion and Empowerment: Reflections on Professional Practice. Health Education Quarterly, 21(2), 253-268.
  • Leahy, C. M., Peterson, R. P., Wilson, I. G., Newbury, J. W., Tonkin, A. L., & Turnbull, D. (2010). Distress levels and self-reported treatment rates for medicine, law psychology and mechanical engineering tertiary students: Cross sectional study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 44, 608-615.
  • Major B, Hunger J, Bunyan D & Miller C (2014). The ironic effects of weight stigma. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 51:74-80.
  • Manolis C., Burns D.J., Assudani, R., & Chinta, R. (2013). Assessing experiential learning styles: a methodological reconstruction and validation of the Kolb learning style inventory. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 44-52.
  • McGrath, R. (2010). A critical self-reflection of teaching “disability” to international business students, Journal of International Education in Business, Vol.3, no.1/2, pp.20-33
  • McGrath, R., Young J. & Adams C. (2015). Assessing, sharing and responding to learning styles in Bachelor of Health Science students and their teachers. Focus on Health Professional Education: A Multi Disciplinary Journal. (In Review)
  • Nel, N. & Romm, N. (2014). Editor’s Forward. Participatory Education Research, 1(1): I-II.
  • Puhl, R. & Brownell, K. (2010). Confronting and coping with weight stigma: an investigation of overweight and obese adults. Obesity, 14(10):1802–1815.
  • Puntambekar, S. & Hubscher, R. (2005). Tools for scaffolding students in a complex learning environment: What have we gained and what have we missed?. Educational psychologist, 40(1), 1-12.
  • Reason, P. (2006). Choice and quality in action research practice. Journal of management inquiry, 15(2): 187-203.
  • Reason, P. & Bradbury, H. (2008). The SAGE handbook of action research: Participatory inquiry and practice. London: Sage.
  • Romm, N. (2014). Active and Accountable Social Inquiry: Implications and Examples. Participatory Education Research, 1(2):13-20.
  • Ryan, J. & Viete, R. (2009). Respectful interactions: learning with international students in the English-speaking academy. Teaching in Higher Education, 14(3):303-314.
  • Seligman, M. E. (1972). Learned helplessness. Annual review of medicine, 23(1), 407-412.
  • Sherwood, J. & Edwards, T. (2006). Decolonisation: A critical step for improving Aboriginal health. Contemporary Nurse, 22(2), 178-190.
  • Stotland, S. & Zuroff, D. (1990). A new measure of weight locus of control: the Dieting Beliefs Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 54(1-2):191–203.
  • Taines, C. (2010). Educational or Social Reform? Students Inform the Debate Over Improving Urban Schools. Education and Urban Society. doi: 10.1177/0013124510392566
  • Tennant, R., Hiller, L., Fishwick, R., Platt, S., Joseph, S., Weich, S., Parkinson, J., Secker, J. & Stewart-Brown, S. (2007). The Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale (WEMWBS): Development and UK validation. Health and Quality of life Outcomes, 5(1):63-75.
  • Vries, H. D., Backbier, E., Kok, G., & Dijkstra, M. (1995). The Impact of Social Influences in the Context of Attitude, Self‐Efficacy, Intention, and Previous Behavior as Predictors of Smoking Onset. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25(3): 237-257.
  • World Health Organisation (1986). The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Geneva, Switzerland. http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index.html
  • Young, J. (2004). “Becoming different”: accessing university from a low socioeconomic community—barriers and motivators. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 17(5), 425-469.
  • Zoghi, M., Brown, T., Williams, B., Roller, L., Jaberzadeh, S., & Palermo, C. (2010). Learning style preferences of Australian health science students”. Allied Health, 39, 95-103.
There are 45 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Studies on Education
Journal Section Research Articles
Authors

Janette Young This is me

Richard Mcgrath This is me

Caroline Adams This is me

Publication Date November 30, 2015
Acceptance Date June 23, 2015
Published in Issue Year 2015 Special Issue 2015 I

Cite

APA Young, J., Mcgrath, R., & Adams, C. (2015). Developing and refining a participatory educative model with Health Science students – A case study of practice. Participatory Educational Research, 2(4), 61-73. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.15.spi.1.6

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