A Critical Analysis of Teaching and Learning - Coursework Example

? A Critical Analysis of Teaching and Learning A Critical Analysis of Teaching and Learning A learning environment is dividable intotwo segments, namely the clinical and academic settings (Morrison & Walsh, 2002). Whilst academic reviewers consider the vitality of classroom teaching, it is agreeable that good and quality clinical placements constitute the most significant and influential learning process. Therefore, good clinical and academic settings are necessary for students to achieve effective learning results. Consequently, present day nursing educators exert a high value and emphasize much on students to learn in a clinical environment (Doenges & Morehouse, 2003). In this respect, this paper intends to outline instances where teaching and learning are effective in nursing environment. Additionally, it also seeks to outline barriers that exist to effective learning and teaching in the clinical nursing environment and select strategies along with their implementation details and processes. In a nursing environment, one of the instances where teaching and learning is effective is that which has an interactive network between forces present in a clinical setting and that which influences the overall student’s clinical learning results (Ozkahraman & Y?ld?r?m, 2011). It comprises everything that surrounds a student, including clinical staff, equipment, patients, setting, and educators (ABA, 2005). Thus, an environment in which a student sets is an imperative element in the whole process of learning. In addition, instances where teaching and learning are effective exist in an environment where practice has a considerable percentage in the overall grading of learning (Andrews & Roberts, 2003). This is because practice provides learning opportunities that enable students to achieve proficient clinical skills as well as the stated outcomes (Begley, 2004). With reference to medics, discrepancy exists between and among theory, practice, and the aspects of both theory and practice. The reason is because practitioners and educators work from different angles. One is from practice while the other is from teaching (Brown, 2005). As such, in order to be in a position to meet the clinical learning requirements of all students, an educator must introduce the spectrum of practice and interaction (Chappell & Aston, 2004). This means that in nursing profession, there must be interactions between students and clinical staff since practice is essential for the former’s future exposure to the real market (Clarke, 2003). The third instance in which learning and teaching are effective is where the surrounding environment presents a platform for tackling challenges and engaging in continuous discourse with deep thought (Begley, 2003). In such an environment, students gain an innate understanding of the real nature of their profession (ABA, 2002). Furthermore, students undergo many experiences that are imperative and cognitive for learning exploration and description, hence acquiring or rather attaining the most competent level of knowledge. In a challenging environment, learners participate in qualitative research, which is an ultimate part of effective studying as it provides complex fraternities of understanding and knowledge application (Aston & Molassiotis, 2003). This instance gives room for collection of data rich in phenomenology and reexamines the experiences that are usually useful and meaningful for attaining a pragmatic outcome. This instant stresses and provides consent for acquisition and practice of ethical codes. All of the three instances stated above are effective because they validate and refer all themes of teaching and learning to original descriptions and formulate, examine, and move significant statements as well as their meanings with regard to the appropriate transcriptions (Condell, Elliot, & Nolan, 2003). They all support the basic and important assets of a conducive clinical learning environment and account for accurate data that are essential for a broader aspect of teaching and learning (Creswell, 2007). Moreover, fact finding ascertains that the instances that make teaching and learning efficient are effective because they account for a detailed expectation and experience, support learning strategies, provide essential clinical environment, and articulate for theory practice integration. Inevitably, the kind and quality of support that these instances provide influence many factors (Dalton, 2005). Broadly speaking, formulation of these instances makes students feel supported during clinical placements. Note that in this case support stands for ability of students to acquire eligibility on how to perform certain skills, working or practicing alongside a skilled or an experienced person, and accessing assistance whenever necessary (Cooper, 2003). With reference to the existing literature, some barriers exist to effective learning and teaching in the clinical nursing environment. Since anyone can resolve to go and study nursing in a world’s medical acknowledged institution, it is also understandable that students present in a particular nursing class are from different countries of origin (Feale, 2002). As a result, there must be factors that inhibit both teaching and learning. Therefore, with regard to the highlighted literature, one of the barriers to effective teaching and learning is culture (Government of Ireland, 2004). One of the factors that hamper effective or rather non-discriminative mentoring are cultural differences for international students. Just as exemplified in this extract, cultural awareness is an imperative aspect of effective teaching and learning (Gray & Smith, 2004). However, due to the presence of many students with diverse backgrounds, culture becomes an obstacle towards effective teaching and learning. In a clinical nursing environment, factors that hamper effective learning and teaching consist of external and internal variables that act as barriers to clinical decisions made by nurses (Hutchings, Williamson, & Humphreys, 2005). Referring to the existing literature, a clinical nursing environment should provide nursing students and educators with foundations of self-confidence and competence. However, due to the existence of external and internal variables, lack of self-confidence and competence act as barriers to effective learning as well as teaching in a clinical nursing environment (Landers, 2003). Reliable sources maintain that one of the professions that require learners and mentors to have instilled and bold self-confidence and competence is nursing (Laverty, 2008). Given this idea, variables, mainly the external and internal ones, lead to barriers to effective teaching and learning in a clinical nursing environment. There are particular strategies that can help overcome these barriers. For one, a clinical nursing environment should prepare and update programs that meet the learning and teaching requirements of students becoming valuable and visible (Williams 2002). By preparing mentors and learners for a systemic training and learning environment, students will be valuable (National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing, 2005). Secondly, reviews that involve mentor update courses should put into consideration language differences, diversity training, and emotional effects brought about by migration. This entails that this strategy will cater for foreign nursing students whom might fall victims of discrimination due to poor response from their superiors (Jackson, 2006). Making ethical practices a prominent teaching approach in preparing and updating programs underpinned by the relevant theories of ethics can do away with these barriers (Nearly, 2002). In addition to that, evaluation of ethical practices and knowledge acquired in a classroom can transfer mentoring practices from inhabitable to practices that face no barriers in teaching (Andrews & Roberts, 2003). The process of implementing these strategies is simple and has rational measures. Truthfully, implementing a stated strategy requires a detailed and rational procedure (Condell, Elliot, & Nolan, 2003). Thus, with regard to the strategies stated, implementation requires recommendations that have effective operation of both the theory of contextualization and that of re-contextualization of skills and knowledge in a working place (Brown, 2005). This strategy allows for recognition of a learner’s prior experiences and knowledge and gives room for nursing students to employ their existing knowledge and skills in making sense within a new clinical situation. This strategy acknowledges the importance of a student’s cultural diversity and interpersonal relationship in a learning environment (Begley, 2002). Update of mentor training programs is another aspect that provides systematic ways of eradicating the mentioned barriers. The process of implementing this strategy would involve partial attribution of the structural situation that provides a unique yet effective learning clinical nursing environment (Chappell & Aston, 2004). Implementation of this strategy is rational due to the point that it incorporates traditional methods of learning and as agreed, they are very essential in creation of an effective learning and teaching environment. Further, implementation of this strategy will engage the availability of preceptors that help in making what students learn in a classroom and the concrete situation that they land in a clinical environment (Hutchings, Williamson, & Humphreys, 2005). In conclusion, this study indicates that provision of education support in a clinical area is a fundamental effort. As such, the environments or surroundings in which nursing professionals acquire this crucial knowledge must be effective and must produce the relevant factors and variables for effective teaching and learning (Creswell, 2007). As a result, it is recommendable that the concerned personnel should put in place vital measures that ensure students learn effectively and educators deliver to the students and boards’ expectations. This paper clearly reports the importance and need for efficient instances with effective learning and teaching clinical nursing environments (Cooper, 2003). Therefore, availability of support and the recommended learning and teaching environment can facilitate student’s smooth and sound transition into a reliable workforce of the future. References ABA, (2002). Guidelines for midwives 3rd ed., Dublin: An Bord Altranais. ABA, (2005). Requirements and standards for the midwife registration education Programme (2nd ed.). Dublin: An Bord Altranais. Andrews, M., & Roberts, D. (2003). Supporting student nurses learning in and through clinical practice: The role of the clinical guide. Nurse Education Today, 23(7), 474-481. 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