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NwwEducalion Today ( 1990) 10,54-57 0 Longman Group UK Ltd 1990

WORK Facilitating peer group teaching within nurse education Brenda Clarke and William Feltham

Nurse teachers have an obligation to explore every teaching and learning method in order to prepare students to be able practitioners. In the wider educational field peer tutoring has been used to foster a deeper understanding of a subject area. Experiments using this method have been carried out extensively in America and are becoming more widespread in this country; however very little material is available on the use of this method in nurse education. The following article explains the use of peer tutoring as a method for developing teaching skills amongst student nurses. Two groups of learners were used in this exercise, the senior learners acting as peer tutors. Evaluation by nurse teachers and both groups of learners was favourable and the peer tutors were able to identify the benefits they received from the exercise.

and accepted

INTRODUCTION

education.

practices

in the field of general

One such method

is peer tutoring.

If one of the main aims in the nursing profession is to produce

and maintain

practitioners,

then the profession

safe, well informed has an obliga-

PEER TUTORING

tion to explore and use new teaching and learning methods (Norman 1983). This statement

Peer tutoring

originates

and student

she fosters

from a paper by Sue Norman in which the idea of computer

ing as a new teaching cation.

However

teaching education

and

learner

for nurse

edu-

other.

taken in a wider context,

new

carried

learning

method

assisted learn-

methods

within

nurse

could be seen as a vital component

for

improved practice. Methods of teaching which are new in nurse education may be seen as tried

has also been called pupil tutoring tutoring:

the term

nurses in initial education Experiments out

becoming (Hurford

in peer tutoring

extensively

in the

refers

teaching

to

each

have been

USA

and

are

more widespread in this country. 1980: Hagendon 1981). Changes in

the behaviour experiments

here

of peer included

tutors

reported

improvement

by the in

basic

skills, encouraging more positive attitudes towards learning and gaining a deeper underBrenda Clarke RGN DipN RCNT PGCEA RNT Nurse Tutor, William Feltham BA RGN DipN FETC Nurse Teacher, Bath School of Nursing, Royal United Hospital, Bath (Reprint requests to BC) Manuscript accepted 27 June 1989

54

standing of subject matter. The practice of students helping each other is not a new concept, friends have often worked at their homework together, outside of school. In the clinical situation a degree of learning takes place by means

NURSE EDUCATION

of ‘sitting next to Nellie’ and this is seen to be acceptable Senior

practise

learners

often

inexperienced reverse

by most

nurse

educators.

find themselves

learners,

however

teaching often

may occur due to inequalities

placement, teaching tutoring

curriculum

design

the

in clinical and

ward

programmes. The amount of peer which takes place relies heavily upon

the personality

of the learner,

learner has acquired to teaching. Teaching

the knowledge

the

and his or her commitment

55

TODAY

greatly assisted by the use of video as this enabled each learner

to observe

as a peer tutor. experiences

their own performance

From their own knowledge

the learners

would play in creating

identified

and

the part they

a good learning

climate,

and further discussion focused on how they would make their teaching in the clinical situation,

patient

centred.

Each

peer

tutor

then

wrote learner centred objectives and devised a teaching plan. The authors are aware of the debate

concerning

the

value

of objectives

education

(Mager

& Clark

as educator and health promoter, therefore in initial education it is vita1 to promote and en-

Stenhouse objectives

1975) would

however, it was felt these form a framework for the

courage teaching skills. One such method used to achieve this aim could be peer tutoring. By

teaching sessions. Lesson plans were discussed on a one to one basis with a nurse teacher. Each

using this method tutor

would

towards teaching be fostered subject

the teaching

be improved,

skills of the peer

a positive

attitude

those in the profession

and a deeper

area should

would

understanding

result.

of a

Whilst investigating

peer tutoring as a teaching method it became apparent that there is a minimal amount of literature

concerning

material method

that

its use in nursing.

follows

explains

the use of this

as a means of promoting

in learner

The

teaching

skills

nurses in initial education.

peer

tutor

was questioned

would use in order learning

1963;

on the

to evaluate

which had taken

1980;

tools

they

the degree

of

place and also how

they would evaluate their own performance

as a

teacher. In an attempt to avoid incorrect information or techniques being transferred from

peer

tutor

knowledge

to learner,

was tested

and

each

peer

any

inaccuracies

tutor’s

corrected. Group 2 had been in nurse education

for three

weeks and had had a brief introduction

to blood

pressure

control.

The

peer tutors

them how to take and record firstly in the classroom situation.

The peer tutoring exercise

Calder

in

forms a vital part of the nurses role

a blood pressure

and then in the clinical

The group of learners who were involved in this exercise consisted of two groups of twenty four.

possible for learner

Group

had

use the clinical area which was to be their next

The

allocation. This meant the junior learners would know one of the senior learners when they

been

1, who were to be the peer in nurse

preparation

education

for

tutors

15 months.

of this group formed

a component

Discussion

would teach

with the allocation

officer

made it

nurses from both groups

to

of the curriculum theme designed to develop teaching skills. From the inception of their nurse

commenced their clinical experience. It was hoped that not only peer group tutoring would

education,

continue

ance

the group had identified

of teaching

promotion, members

skills,

patients,

learner

of the caring

been introduced theories relating

in relation nurses

team.

The

the importto health and other group

had

particularly to those learning to the adult learner. Each

learner had practised their teaching skills, using role play on a one to one basis, in the safe climate of the classroom. Feedback had been received on their

performance

as teachers

peers and the nurse teachers.

from

their

own

Self evaluation

was

but

also

peer

support

would

be

fostered. This was explained to the clinical staff when the peer tutoring exercise was discussed, all agreed

to assist and all were aware of the aims

(Appendix 1). The teaching

took place in the classroom

in the clinical situation one exercise had been explained

and

week after the to both learner

groups. Time was allocated during the session for introductions and informal discussion to take place between peer tutor and learner

in an effort

56

NURSE EDUCATION

to create a rapport Nurse

teachers

TODAY

before

tutoring

monitored

the information

commenced.

the teaching

in the

taught.

The group commented

on their anxiety about the teaching session but all

classroom, interjecting only if requested by the peer tutor or if there was obvious signs of

stated they enjoyed

problems.

increase and reinforce their own knowledge. By using the feedback from the peer learner they

When

the peer tutor felt the know-

ledge and skills acquired by the learner were sufficient to ensure patient safety, the tutor and learner patient

moved into the clinical area so that a centred approach towards the topic

could be fostered. peer

tutor

Nurse teachers

and learner

followed

into the clinical

the area,

peer

tutors

their teaching and enthusiasm

teaching

appeared

confidence

they had enjoyed

teaching

session;

and

each

member

of both

exercise

(Appendix

on the

2).

to have improved

skills, for

greatly.

The peer learners response to the questionnaire revealed that 77% felt that the teaching

to ask their

groups was asked to fill in a questionnaire

helped

their

couraged

the

had

however

session

to evaluate

the session

would be able to improve

again observing the teaching taking place. At the end of the exercise the peer tutors were enlearners

it and found it useful. These

said that

was very good,

13.5%

good and 6.5%

good to very good. All learners teaching mented

being

commented

the session,

much

that

the one to one

appreciated.

Some

com-

on the fact that their peer tutor could

empathise

with them because

they were able to

remember how anxious they had felt when learning how to measure and record blood pressure.

EVALUATION Peer

evaluation

is another

within nurse education. account the

for this is nursing’s

area

of

neglected

evaluation.

poor socialisation Often

in

evaluation

viewed as a negative

experience

vehicle

and professional

for personal

aspect

One reason which might

rather

is

than a growth.

Historically, evaluation has been performed by ‘rigid’ supervisors and seldom if ever in a collegial atmosphere acknowledge

with peers. Whilst the authors

that the questionnaire

seen to be problematic,

used can be

the desire was to move

away from this rather

rigid approach

to evalu-

ation and to move towards a more relaxed situation. The

peer

tionnaire

tutor’s

revealed

that their

lesson

responses

that 95% plans

to

the

of the group

had helped

that they found it difficult

vast majority

programmes

of main

stream

in peer tutoring

education

have been in basic

skills such as maths or beginning

reading

and

frequently remedial settings. The reputation of effectiveness for peer tutoring projects has spread rapidly amongst teachers in general education in America. This exercise was used as part of a programme but peer

for developing

tutoring

teaching

skills

can be used in a variety

of

settings.

ques-

be explored by nurse educators in initial education in order that the benefits to learners

felt

with their

to judge

The

open

teaching session and all felt that they had given sufficient information, although most commented

DISCUSSION

the

correct level at which to teach the subject; 50% felt their teaching skills were good, 15% rated their skill between fair and good and 20% rated themselves fair on the scale. Most of the peer tutors felt that they needed to give clearer explanations as well as more time to the primary information. Some felt they needed to develop the use of aids and even handouts to summarise

It is a teaching

method

which needs to

should not be lost. Questions novelty

might

of such

be

raised

an exercise.

regarding Would

the

the pro-

cedure become boring if used for a longer period of time and could the results be attributed to the ‘Hawthorne’ effect, which good teachers constantly use. It is not from the point of view of practising

teachers

an undesirable

effect

to be

avoided, but an effect to be used as long as it works. Would repeated or constant use of peer tutoring have a detrimental effect where all the gains were due solely to the novelty of the situation?

In this exercise

there

is no way to

NURSE EDUCATION TODAY

disentangle

the

effects

effects of tutoring,

of novelty

from

the

but it should be noted that if

tutoring is used very much in the way in which it was used in this exercise, as a short, carefully planned unit built into the normal course of teaching,

then

the

Hawthorne

effect

probably arise each time, enhancing and improving

achievement.

There

would

enjoyment are, how-

ever, persuasive reasons for supposing that tutoring is an effective procedure for enhancing learning quite apart from its novelty. It involves clearly defined objectives (peer tutors are given a precise area of knowledge or skill to teach to the peer learners), active participation and verbalisation as well as the strong reinforcement and motivation of working with a peer. We are about to face Project informed

2000,

aiming

practitioners;

to produce

nurse

well

educationalists

need to teaching

take this opportunity methods which are

to examine being widely

acclaimed

in general

Research

peer tutoring

education.

in nursing is needed;

into

the learners

who were involved in this exercise felt that peer tutoring

had equipped

them for their teaching

role when they qualified.

APPENDIX

57

1

Example of teaching plan produced by peer tutor Aim to teach the learner how to measure and record blood pressure accurately and to facilitate an understanding of the factors involved in maintaining blood pressure. Objectives/Method 1. Assess, by questioning, the learners present knowledge and experience. 2. With the aid of diagrams, explain what is meant by the term blood pressure. Invite Questions 3. Explain the factors involved in maintenance of normal blood pressure. 4. Demonstrate the equipment used for monitoring blood pressure. 5. Demonstrate how a blood pressure is measured and recorded accurately. Invite Questions Allow learner to record blood pressure of peer teacher. Discuss learner’s performance, encouraging self evaluation by learner. Repeat performance. Invite Questions Describe the necessary communication and approach to patient when measuring blood pressure. 10. Take the learner to the ward. 11. Supervise learner measuring blood pressure. 12. Evaluate and discuss with the learner their performance, ensuring this takes place away from the patient.

APPENDIX

2

Questionnaire for peer tutors and learners T = for teachers only L = for learners only Other questions to be answered by both groups

References

1. Was the aim clearly stated?

Allen V 1976 Children as teachers: theory and research on tutoring. Academic Press, London Bond J 1982 Pupil tutoring: the educational conjuring trick. Educational Review, Vol 34, No 3 Calder J R 1980 In defense of the systematic approach to instruction and behaviour objectives. Educational Technology, May 1980, pp 21-25 Hagedon J 198 1 Special relationship. The Guardian (Education), July 15 Hut-ford A 1980 How peer tutors can help. Special Education: Forward Trends 7, pp 33-35 Mager R F, Clark C 1963 Explorations in studentcontrolled instruction. Psychological Report 13, pp 71-76 Norman S 1984 RCN association of nursing education conference ‘Computers in Nurse Education’ Stenhouse L 197 1 Some limitations of the use of objectives in curriculum research and planning in Paedagogica Europaea 6, 1970-7 1, pp 73-83.

Yes/No 2. (T) Did the lesson plan which you had prepared, meet the needs of your teaching session? Yes/No 3. (T) Please rate your teaching skills on the following scale. Very Good Good Fair Poor 4. (L) Please rate the teaching which you received on the following scale. Good Fair Poor Very Good (T) How could you have improved your teaching skills? (L) What would have made learning during the session, easier for you? (T) Did you have sufficient information? Yes/No (L) Was sufficient information given to you, to enable you to understand, how to measure and record a blood pressure? 9. What was positive about the session?

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Facilitating peer group teaching within nurse education.

Nurse teachers have an obligation to explore every teaching and learning method in order to prepare students to be able practitioners. In the wider ed...
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