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Students' perceptions of anatomy as expressed through drawings

Thesis (MPhil)-- Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Anatomy remains a foundational subject in the preclinical years of medical and other allied
health sciences courses, with exceptionally large volumes of content, and a unique practical
aspect: conducting cadaveric dissection and the use of pre-dissected cadaver specimens.
The educational climate can be set by incorporating a suitable introduction to the subject,
addressing academically and emotionally underprepared students before the formal
commencement of the Anatomy curriculum. The literature does not mention what such an
Introduction Module should entail.
Quantitative means such as questionnaires have been used to evaluate the perceptions and
the emotional and psychological influence of Anatomy. It is often assumed that through
words meaning is conveyed, providing researchers with data that can be objectively
interpreted. But questionnaires are rather pre-emptive of what students might say about
what they experience, and the number of possible answers is restricted. The use of
drawings might be an opportunity for the students to express their unmediated feelings;
strong emotions could appear in the form of images instead of words, allowing students to
experience rather than verbalize feelings especially with a limited vocabulary. Qualitative
data analysis enables the researcher to get at complex layers of meaning, interprets human
behaviour and experiences beyond the surface appearance, provides rich evidence of this
behaviour and/or experiences and consequently builds theory inductively from the data
source. The primary purpose of this study is to establish the feasibility of using drawings to explore
how a diverse group of students from the University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, view
Anatomy and what insights can be gained from these drawings to inform the Introduction
Module. Students were asked to draw their perceptions of Anatomy after approximately 10
weeks of allocated contact time, which includes lectures as well as practical sessions. A
total of 74% (134 out of 181) drawings were handed in. A matrix-type method of analysis
based on existing literature was formulated to analyse the drawings. Three dimensions were
identified for each of the drawings: “what” is illustrated, then “how” is the message conveyed
or illustrated, and lastly, the “emotion” communicated through the drawing. The reliability
was increased with two interpreters who analysed the drawings.
Learning approaches, orientation on human life and death, the general emotional state of
individuals influenced by Anatomy, their course of study, the influence of family and friends
are some of the aspects that were depicted in the drawings. The rich data encountered
through the drawings provided curriculum organisers with insights enabling them to implement necessary changes to the Introduction Module in order to improve student
preparedness for what is to follow during the Anatomy curriculum. Further studies are
recommended on how student drawings can be utilised to inform curricula and in other
educational contexts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Anatomie bly 'n fundamentele vakgebied in die prekliniese jare van mediese en ander
verwante gesondheidswetenskappe kursusse, met besonder groot volumes van die studieinhoud
en 'n unieke praktiese aspek: die uitvoer van kadawer disseksie en die gebruik van
voorafgedissekteerde kadawer monsters. Die opvoedkundige klimaat kan ingestel word
deur 'n geskikte Inleiding Module tot die kurrikulum te voeg wat akademies en emosioneel
swak voorbereide studente kan voorberei vir die formele Anatomie kurrikulum. Literatuur
noem nie wat so 'n Inleiding Module moet behels nie.
Kwantitatiewe praktyke soos vraelyste is voorheen gebruik om die persepsies en die
emosionele en sielkundige invloed van Anatomie te evalueer. Dit word dikwels aanvaar dat
deur woorde betekenis oorgedra word wat navorsers van data voorsien wat objektief vertolk
kan word. Maar vraelyste is vooropgestel ten opsigte van dit wat studente mag ervaar, en
die aantal moontlike antwoorde is beperk. Sterk emosies kan na vore kom in die vorm van
beelde in plaas van woorde, wat studente in staat stel om te ervaar, eerder as om gevoelens
te verwoord, veral met 'n beperkte woordeskat. Die gebruik van tekeninge is 'n geleentheid
vir die student om hul onverdeelde gevoelens uit te druk. Kwalitatiewe data-ontleding stel
die navorser in staat om komplekse lae van betekenis te interpreteer, menslike gedrag en
ervarings buite die oppervlak te analiseer, bied voldoende bewyse van hierdie gedrag en
ervarings en kan gevolglik teorie induktief uit die data bron bou. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie is om die lewensvatbaarheid van die gebruik van
tekeninge te verken in hoe 'n diverse groep studente aan die Universiteit van Limpopo,
Medunsa-kampus, Anatomie sien en watter insigte kan verkry word uit hierdie tekeninge om
die temas wat in die Inleiding Module aangespreek moet word, vas te stel. Studente is
gevra om hul persepsies van Anatomie uit te beeld na ongeveer tien weke se formele
kontaktyd, wat lesings, sowel as praktiese sessies insluit. 'n Totaal van 74% (134 uit 181)
tekeninge is ingehandig. 'n Matriks-tipe metode van analise gebaseer op bestaande
literatuur is geformuleer om die tekeninge te ontleed. Drie dimensies is geïdentifiseer vir elk
van die tekeninge: "wat" is geteken, dan "hoe" is die boodskap wat oorgedra word
geïllustreer, en laastens die “emosie” gekommunikeer deur die tekening. Die betroubaarheid
is verhoog met twee individue wat die tekeninge ontleed.
Leerbenaderings, oriëntering op die menslike lewe en die dood, die algemene emosionele
toestand van individue en hoe dit hul persepsies van Anatomie beinvloed, die studiekursus
waarvoor hul ingeskryf is, die invloed van familie en vriende, is 'n paar aspekte wat in die
tekeninge uitgebeeld is. Die ryk data teëgekom in die tekeninge kan kurrikulum organiseerders in staat te stel om die nodige veranderinge aan die Inleiding Module te
implementeer ten einde die voorbereiding van studente te verbeter vir wat gaan volg tydens
die Anatomy kurrikulum. Verdere studies word aanbeveel oor hoe student tekeninge gebruik
kan word om leerplanne en in ander opvoedkundige kontekste in te lig.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/85780
Date12 1900
CreatorsSchabort, Desire
ContributorsLeibowitz, B., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Centre for Health Professions Education.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format84 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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