Interactive Teaching for Better Learning among Students

 

Mrs. Umarani. J

Professor, Department of Paediatric Nursing, Yenepoya Nursing College, Yenepoya University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India

ABSTRACT:

Teaching is an activity that is intended to motivate the learner to learn. This has resulted in crucial changes in the field of medical education, with a shift from didactic lecture to the use of student centered learning. Interactive teaching stimulates interaction between the teacher and learner in the context of curriculum, which will activate the students mentally and physically, resulting in effective learning.Objectives: Assess the knowledge of students regarding HIV infection in children. Conduct interactive teaching session. Evaluate the effectiveness of Interactive teaching on knowledge of students regarding HIV infection in children. To know the feedback on interactive teaching session. Methodology: A pre experimental one group pre and post test study was conducted among third Year B.Sc. Nursing students. The samples were selected by non probability purposive sampling technique. Pre test Assessment was carried out to assess the students’ knowledge on HIV infection in children. Then the small group Interactive teaching session was conducted with different teaching techniques such as background knowledge probe, group discussion, make them guess, picture prompt, role play, think-pair and share. The performance of the students were assessed by continuous comprehensive assessment, post test assessment and students feedback.Results : The results revealed that the mean Post test knowledge score is significantly higher than the mean pretest score. There is a significant difference between the pre and post test knowledge at P<0.05level (2.0345). After interactive teaching session majority of the students performance was good in the comprehensive assessment. Students’ feedback indicated that they were satisfied with the sessions. Conclusion:  The Socratic approach helped the students to actively participate in the session and gain adequate knowledge on the topic which will enhance better practice to take care of the children with HIV infection in the clinical and community setting.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The pandemic of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues in many countries in the developing world. In 2010, according to the World Health Organization, it was estimated that 3.2 million children below15 years were to be living with the virus globally. More than 90% of these were in sub-Saharan Africa.  More than 93% of the HIV positive children have acquired the disease from their infected mothers.

 

Only 7% of them contracted the disease through sexual abuse or injection of drugs. Out of 4,30,000 new infections, between 2,80,000 and 3,60,000 were acquired during labour and in the pre-partum period. Of the remaining new infections, the majority were acquired during breast feeding¹. According to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), there are 220,000 children infected by HIV/AIDS in India. The mothers with HIV infection give birth to approximately 55,000 to 60,000 children every year and among them 30% are likely to be infected. As part of an attempt to help children living with HIV/AIDS, UNICEF in collaboration with national organizations and the Government of India have put children on the agenda of the National Aids Control Plan III. The aim is to prevent parent to child transmission of disease, provide care and medical treatment to children with HIV infection ². According to a publication of Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), there are 2-3 million people in India are living with HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 70,000 children below the age of 15 infected with 21,000 children being infected through mother-child transmission every year. HIV infection in extremely young children is especially fatal. Young children progress through the disease at a much faster rate. 33% of children with HIV die within the first 12 months, 50% by 24 months and 60% by 36 months. For young children early detection, nutritional supplements and medical treatment especially antiretroviral therapy is essential for survival. Children living with the disease experience a great deal of social stigma and discrimination. This results in children being marginalized from essential services such as education and health³. In India, as in many other countries, people with HIV frequently encounter discrimination when seeking and receiving health care services, with serious adverse consequences for their physical and psycho-social well-being⁵. The knowledge and attitudes of healthcare workers (HCWs) in relation to HIV infection is an important factor influencing the willingness and ability of people with HIV to access care, and the quality of the care they receive. How HCWs perceive their own risks in relation to caring for HIV-positive patients potentially influences their willingness to provide care. There are studies assessing HIV-related knowledge and attitudes among HCWs in India^4-8. A study was conducted to determine the knowledge level of the students of a Nigerian University about HIVIAIDS. The results lndicated that while the students were knowledgeable about the mode of transmission of HIV, but there were some misconceptions about it. The students had obtained information about HIV AIDS primarily from the media rather than from school classrooms and homes, which suggests a need to increase the educational efforts at the University level⁹. A study conducted among nursing students in the nursing school in Dehradun, Uttarakhand to find out their knowledge and awareness regarding HIV/AIDS. Only 76 per cent of them had heard of HIV/AIDS and for 83 per cent of the participants, the source of information was television (TV). Common misconceptions among the respondents about HIV/AIDS were HIV transmission through hugging, sharing toilet seats, towels, utensils, shaking hands and even mosquito-bites.¹⁰ Providing high quality care to the children with HIV infection is a real challenge to the nursing students. Most of the students are having limited knowledge on HIV AIDS in children. So to equip the students with adequate knowledge, the investigator would like to conduct a session with a socratic approach where the students will actively participate and gain adequate knowledge which will enhance better practice to take care of the children with HIV infection.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study adopted an evaluative approach with Pre Experimental  design (One group pre and post test). The study participants were from III Year B.Sc. Nursing Students. Thirty four students were selected by Non Probability convenience sampling technique. The tool used to collect the data was divided into two sections, section-A : baseline data includes age, gender, type of family, area of residence, current place of living and previous exposure to interactive teaching and section-B : self administered structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of 15 multiple choice question. The correct response have one score and the incorrect response have zero score. Good knowledge: 11-15, Average knowledge: 6-10 and Poor  knowledge 1-5. After obtaining consent from the study participants and the ethical clearance from Institution ethics committee, the pretest was conducted . Then the students were exposed to interactive teaching session with different teaching techniques such as background knowledge probe, lecture cum group discussion, make them guess, picture prompt, Cross word puzzle, role play, think-pair and share etc on HIV infection in children. After the teaching program the students learning outcome in terms of knowledge gain is evaluated by conducting post test assessments such as MCQ, short test, true or false and assignment. Feed back on the sessions obtained from the students.

 

RESULTS:

Majority (20) of students were in the category of poor knowledge in the pretest whereas in the post test majority (28) gained good knowledge after they were exposed to interactive teaching sessions (Fig.1).

 

Fig.1 Distribution of level of Knowledge in Pre and Post test

The mean Post test knowledge score is significantly higher than the mean pretest score and there is a significant difference (Table.1) between the pre and post test knowledge at P<0.05level (2.0345). After the interactive teaching session most of the students performance was good in the comprehensive assessment. Students’  feedback also indicated that they were satisfied with the sessions (Fig.2)

 

Fig.2 Students feedback on interactive session

 

Table.1 Distribution of data on Mean, Standard deviation and t-test

	Mean	Standard deviation	Paired ‘t’ test
Pre test	4.73	1.77	6.51*
Post test	10.85	2.32

 t ₍₃₃₎= 2.0345     P< 0.05        * Significance

 

DISCUSSION:

The study revealed that the students gained adequate knowledge after the interactive teaching session. Similarly a health education intervention was conducted among pre medical students in Misurata to improve their knowledge on HIV/ AIDS and the effectiveness of the intervention was evaluated. Knowledge about all aspects was excellent on post-test evaluation. Difference between pre and post test mean scores was found to be highly significant which denotes health education intervention was effective.¹¹ The result of the present study is supported by another study conducted to assess the effectiveness of IEC intervention program on knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. The education program significantly improved the HIV/AIDS knowledge, and to a lesser extent the perceptions and attitudes toward patients with HIV/AIDS.¹²  The students’ feedback revealed majority of the students agreed that interactive teaching covered the content effectively, guided them how to learn and provided a good learning environment. Perhaps the students expressed that they prefer interactive teaching method to be followed by all the teachers. Further studies can be conducted to compare the traditional didactic(one way) method and modern Socratic (two way) method. Interactive teaching method needs to be incorporated in all the teaching sessions by the faculty in future to enhance active learning.

 

CONCLUSION:

The Socratic approach helped the students to actively participate in the session and gain adequate knowledge on the topic which will enhance better practice to take care of the children with HIV infection in the clinical and community setting.

 

REFERENCES:

1.     WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEf: Global HIV/AIDS Response. Epidemic update and health sector progress towards universal access. Progress Report 2011.

2.     United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).Vulnerable Children ,Children’s Issues. www.childlineindia.org.in

3.     Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD); National AIDS Control Organization.Vulnerable Children. www.childlineindia.org.in

4.     Fusilier MR, Durlabhji S. Health care workers’ AIDS attitudes and willingness to provide care - India. J Health Hum Serv Adm 1997; 20: 145-58.

5.     Datta C, Bandyopadhyay D. Knowledge and attitudes in relation to HIV/AIDS among in-service nurses of Calcutta. J Indian Med Assoc 1997; 95 : 75-7.

6.     Lal P, Kumar A, Ingle GK, Gulati N. Some AIDS-related policy issues and nursing students’ willingness to provide AIDS care. J Commun Dis 1998; 30 : 38-43.

7.     Kumar A, Lal P, Ingle GK, Gulati N. AIDS-related apprehensions among nursing students of Delhi. J Commun Dis 1999; 31 : 217-21.

8.     Kumar R, Mohan N, Seenu V, Kumar A, Nandi M, Sarma RK. Knowledge, attitude and practices towards HIV among nurses in a tertiary care teaching hospital: two decades after the discovery. J Commun Dis 2002; 34 : 245-56.

9.     Hardln A.K, Ansdu E C., Gray L A and D A.Chsmpeau "Nigerian university students' knowledge, perceptions. and behaviour about HIV AIDS are there sludents at Risk, Mcdlinc, 1-R-Soo-Health 1999 Mar 1190) 21.31

10.  Naveen K. Goel and  Rahul Bansal, et.al.Knowledge and awareness of nursing students about HIV/AIDS Health and Population: Perspectives and Issues. 2010. Vol. 33 (1), 55-60

11.  Sugathan S, Swaysi M . Knowledge about HIV/AIDS among Premedical Students in Misurata, Libya and the Effectiveness of a Health Education Intervention. J Community Med Health Educ.2012. 2:187.

12.  Eman Taher and Rehab Abdelhai. Nurses’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS: Effects of a health education intervention on two nursing groups in Cairo University. Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology.2011.Vol. 3(4), pp. 144-154.

 

 

 

Received on 13.09.2016          Modified on 25.09.2016

Accepted on 28.12.2016         © A&V Publications all right reserved