A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
October 2015 / This study investigated students’ experiences of integration of learning in the undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Witwatersrand. There is evidence that integration of learning, also referred to as “integrative learning”, assists students to assimilate and apply what they have learnt more effectively, and thus enhances the goal of achieving professional competence. From 2003, Years 3 and 4 of the undergraduate programme were redesigned to be presented as integrated system-based blocks, using problem-based learning as the main learning strategy. From 2005, Years 5 and 6 were also redesigned. Although clinical rotations in specific disciplines still formed the main learning strategy, a number of integrating activities – and even rotations – were included in the new programme in these years. From 2006 Years 1 and 2 of the programme (which were still discipline-based) were reviewed in terms of course content and integration of learning, and new courses were added to those years to facilitate integration of learning.
As a result of the reforms outlined above, the six years of the undergraduate medical programme at the University of the Witwatersrand now contain a rich variety of features designed to advance integration of learning. However, the ways in which students and teachers experience these kinds of integration are not known, neither is the effect that they are having on student learning.
Investigating student and teacher experiences of a variety of events designed to promote integration of learning deepens the understanding of the many and varied effects of such integration activities, and contributes to the body of knowledge on integration of curricula in medical education. This study also contributes to a generic understanding of the phenomenon of integration in the process of learning, potentially enhancing knowledge and practice in the field of medical education.
This is a qualitative study which used phenomenography, a research approach with an educational interest. The phenomenon of integration of learning is one which exists in the understanding of persons involved in the learning process, as teachers or students and, for this reason, an approach which clarifies that understanding was followed.
The principal sampling approach was purposive. Data collection spanned 27 months (March 2012 to June 2014) and a total sample of 25 students and 10 teachers were the
respondents, providing information through in-depth interviews and small focus group discussions. The semi-structured interviews were conducted using a tool that introduced an entry question such as “What is your understanding of ……?” Subsequent dialogue followed on angles of responses, leading to the development of different categories of how the phenomenon is experienced. Interviews were recorded using a voice recorder. Focus group discussions and further individual interviews were used to refine ideas and not necessarily to increase the size of the original sample. For analysis, the researcher used qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA11. Excerpts that conveyed the most significant information were selected, de-contextualised and compared, followed by grouping and re-grouping of them until the outcome space was formulated.
Three categories of description made up the outcome space. The categories that emerged represent the qualitatively different experiences of the students and teachers who were interviewed: conceptions of meaning and processes of integration of learning; conceptions of how to integrate learning and development of integration ability; and conceptions of the links between integration ability and educational experiences. The outcome space was constituted using as a guide the framework of the anatomy of awareness and the structure of experience as espoused by Marton and Booth (1997).
The lowest level of conception is that integration of learning is a vague and abstract concept which happens passively while an ability to integrate learning is conceived of as an atomistic acquisition of fragmented facts. The respective act of learning is experienced as knowledge increase. A conception of increasing appreciation of the phenomenon is that it is important to consciously link concepts through identifying essential detail. This is a perception of higher value as it includes the ability to remember everything. A conception of higher value is that subjects are related as they contribute to each other. Understanding one leads to the understanding of another. The concept of integrative learning is introduced and this happens during studying. The most sophisticated conception is that integration of learning happens automatically as students accumulate knowledge and experience. Integration of learning, therefore, becomes a way of thinking, an unconscious competence for life in an integrated career. Students adopt strategies that enable learning for meaning while drawing on all knowledge and skills.
When the outcome space is translated graphically, a model of how students develop the ability to integrate learning is revealed. From the model, it was apparent that students embark on a journey of integration of learning through taking steps that increase in complexity and hierarchical inclusivity. The integration of learning takes a relatively long time to develop, occurring from the first year to the sixth year, but starting from minimal to highly complex acts of learning, to be able to cope in a complex career in a complex world. The affective constructs towards the phenomenon also change over the years from negative to positive. All this happens in an environment that is regulated by affective constructs and motivation factors. The acquisition of the ability to integrate learning is conceived to take long depending on the effects of affective constructs and the external horizon.
From the model, four factors emerge that are critical for integration of learning in that they either promote it or prevent it from occurring effectively. The factors can be grouped according to whether they involve the teacher, curriculum, student and studying. Recommendations for application of the model were drawn around interventions that impact on improvements specific to each of the factors identified. This is a proposed developmental model which is a logical presentation of integration of learning. The proposed model requires additional research to provide further empirical justification. Gibbs (1994) refers to a proposition that research on student learning has something substantial to feed back into the context within which it is undertaken. The researcher makes specific reference to Harden’s (2000) integration ladder as a benchmark for curriculum integration strategies that strengthen integration of learning in institutions of Higher Education.
KEYWORDS
Integration of learning
Integrative learning
Curriculum integration
Phenomenographic research into integrative learning
Learning approaches
21st century learning theories
Learning according to phenomenography
Pedagogies of integration of learning
Anatomy of awareness
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/19961 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Chipamaunga, Shalote Rudo |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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