NON-DYSLEXIC AND DYSLEXIC NURSING AND MIDWIFERY STUDENTS EXPERIENCES OF THEIR PERSONAL ACADEMIC

TUTOR SUPPORT, THEIR NEEDS AND HOW BEST THEY COULD BE MET

ANNA CROUCH

SENIOR LECTURER

The University of Northampton

© 2010 A. Crouch

Aim

• To give an overview of the methodology and discuss the preliminary findings of a study which explored nursing and midwifery students experience of their personal academic tutor support, their needs and how best they could be supported

Reasons for the study:

• Requirement by Disability Commissioning Rights (2004)

• NMC requirement

© 2010 A. Crouch

Aim/s of study

• To explore the students experience of their personal tutor support

• To compare the experiences and needs of non-dyslexic with those of students with dyslexia

• To find out how the personal tutor support could be enhanced for the students with particular emphasis on those with dyslexia.

© 2010 A. Crouch

Methodology:

MethodologyMethodology

• Qualitative

• Ethical Issues: Consent sought and obtained from University research ethics committee

-Informed verbal and written consent from participants obtained prior to study

• Sample StudiedSample Studied

-15 Non-dyslexic nursing & midwifery students

-7 nursing & midwifery students who have been formally diagnosed with dyslexia

© 2010 A. Crouch

Experiences of students, their needs and how those needs could be met by their personal academic tutors

• Data CollectionData Collection

-Tape recorded face to face interviews which were then transcribed

• Data AnalysisData Analysis

-Constant comparative method manually first

-Computer software QRS Nvivo 8 used for tree node

formation, categorisation and regrouping of themes

© 2010 A. Crouch

THEMES ARRANGED UNDER 3 MAIN HEADINGS

FOR BOTH NON-DYSLEXIC AND DYSLEXIC STUDENTS

STUDENTS EXPERIENCE OF SUPPORT

PROBLEMS & NEEDS

HOW THE PERSONAL ACADEMIC

TUTOR COULD HELP MEET

NEEDS

Figure 1: Diagram showing the categories under which themes were grouped

© 2010 A. Crouch

NON-DYSLEXIC STUDENTS EXPERIENCE OF SUPPORT: THEMES GENERATED

SUPPORTIVE

Explains things / guides

• ‘When I have met with them, yeah that has been more to give me guidance on the practical side of the course rather than academic’ (N3.3)

‘Basically when I am facing any problem academic wise, he tries to support me, to explain things to me better’ (N1.3)

© 2010 A. Crouch

DYSLEXIC STUDENTS EXPERIENCE OF PERSONAL TUTOR SUPPORT:THEMES

SUPPORTIVE

‘When you go she makes you feel comfortable like you're not putting her out or she always gives you acknowledgement (D5.5)

© 2010 A. Crouch

THEMES GENERATED: PROBLEMS & NEEDS

NON-DYSLEXIC STUDENTSAcademic problems & needs

• Difficulty with writing

• Understanding guidelines

Professional needs

• Knowledge*

• Progress to/achieve required levels*

*= Just under a third of sample

STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIAAcademic problems & needs

• Difficulty/help with writing

• Forgetfulness

• Slow at doing things

• Problems with maths

• Coping strategies

Professional needs

• As above + problems with drug calculation

© 2010 A. Crouch

HOW BEST COULD THE PERSONAL ACADEMIC TUTOR HELP MEET NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS: THEMES GENERATED

Academic:- (Miscellaneous)

-No need to bother tutor / happy with ongoing support

-One to one with tutor*

-I can ask for help/different ways of doing assignment*

-Give extra lecture/s to explain things (APEL Students)

Professional: It’s a mentor /practice issue

-More tripartite meetings (Std Mid)

Academic:

-Help with all assignments, e.g.

proof read, check assignment

plan

Professional:

-It’s more to do with mentor

NON-DYSLEXIC STUDENTS STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA

© 2010 A. Crouch

Summary/Conclusion

• Analysis of project is still in progress so conclusions and recommendations are yet to be made.

• The preliminary findings do however appear to suggest that some of the non-dyslexic students, like their counterparts with dyslexia, identified writing difficulties as an academic problem but reasons given for such difficulties for each group appeared to be different.

• Although students with dyslexia reported to have more academic problems than the non-dyslexic students, both groups reported that support given to them was appropriate to their respective needs, but some suggestions of how the support could be enhanced were made by each group.

© 2010 A. Crouch