Community-based education and service learning: experiences of health sciences students at the University of the Free State

[摘要] English: In this research project, an in-depth study was done by the researcher in view ofproviding recommendations, based on the experiences of Health Sciences students inCommunity-Based Education (CBE) and Service Learning (SL), to academic staff in theFaculty of Health Sciences (FHS), University of the Free State (UFS), as well as to allinternal and external role players who are planning such initiatives in the future inorder to enhance the effectiveness thereof.The current challenge in the training of health professionals is that programmes shouldproduce graduates who are prepared for work in community settings. CBE and SL areteaching approaches used in the FHS, at the UFS, in order to prepare undergraduatestudents for future professional work in rural and underserved communities.The research problem revolved around determining what the experiences of HealthSciences students are during CBE and SL undertaken at the UFS. The overall goal ofthe study was to explore the students' views regarding CBE and SL initiatives in orderto make recommendations to all stakeholders involved in these initiatives with the viewto enhance the efficacy thereof for students. The aim of the study was to explore theexperiences, views, attitudes and perceptions of Health Sciences students regardingCBE and SL at the UFS.An exploratory mixed-methods design was used �?a design in which the results of thefirst method (qualitative) can help develop or inform the second method(quantitative). The methods that were used and which formed the basis of the studycomprised a literature review, and �?as the empirical study �?nominal groupdiscussions and a questionnaire survey.The purpose of the literature review was to provide background for the researchproblem, to establish the need for the research and to indicate that the researcher is knowledgeable about the area. The literature review focussed on the contextualisationand conceptualisation of CBE and SL. The purpose of the nominal group discussionswas to identify themes that occurred in the questionnaire survey. The purpose of thequestionnaire survey was to identify the most commonly shared perceptions andattitudes that Health Sciences students have about CBE and SL and to identifywhether there are certain factors that influence their experience of CBE and SL.Recommendations were made on how to implement and manage CBE and SL withinundergraduate Health Sciences programmes at the FHS in such a way that studentsbenefit from the experience and as a result, the effectiveness thereof improve.The study was done to make a contribution to the implementation and managementof CBE and SL within undergraduate Health Sciences programmes in the Faculty ofHealth Sciences at the UFS, through describing how students currently experience CBEand SL in the FHS. The study provides recommendations to all stakeholders in theFHS, at the UFS that are currently involved in CBE or SL and to those who areplanning such initiatives in the future.A contribution is made and new knowledge is added through this study. By describinghow undergraduate Health Sciences students experience CBE and SL in the FHS, atthe UFS and by providing recommendations regarding the implementation andmanagement of CBE and SL in such a way as to enhance the students' experiencethereof, the identified gap is bridged. The sound research approach and methodologyensured the quality, reliability and validity of the research. The completed researchcan form the basis for future research. If the recommendations are followed whenimplementing and managing CBE and SL initiatives within undergraduate HealthSciences programmes, the students' experiences of these initiatives will improve, andultimately the effectiveness of CBE and SL will improve for all stakeholders involved.

[发布机构] University of the Free State