Wednesday 20 March 2019

PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR: TRS 300. The role of a constant peer study group in the learning experience of University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Institute of Distance Education (IDE) Level 3 B Ed Secondary students of 2017/18

Group members: Senzo, Bongani and Major
Senzo Tsela and Bongani Mhlanga
Major Shoulder and Bongani Mhlanga

TITLE
The role of a constant peer study group in the learning experience of University of Swaziland (UNISWA) Institute of Distance Education (IDE) Level 3 B Ed Secondary students of  2017/18.

Background
In this study we want to examine the role of a  constant peer study group  of UNISWA IDE B Ed Secondary students  to cope with the academic challenges and demands in the course of their studies . Different scholars have written extensively on the area of the role of a constant peer study groups, such as Weirsema (2000) who asserts that learning is enhanced when it is more like a team effort than a solo race. This is also echoed by Weimer (2017) when he posits that it is easy for students to pose questions amongst themselves sin their peer study groups before asking the Professor. Since our research will take the form of a case study, we will be focusing only on Level 3 B Ed Secondary students in the 2017/18 academic year.

What prompted our interest in this issue of inquiry were the anecdotes about experience we have shared and observed since our first year in the B Ed Secondary Programme.  Stu dying part-time through the IDE B. Ed Programme comes with challenges largely due to the fact that students have to grapple with academic, work, and personal commitments simultaneously.

As  pointed out above, the academic commitments and responsibilities comprise of attending classes, writing class works, assignments, tests, and doing presentations and mini-projects and projects which all demand thorough preparation in advance  and follow up work. While faced with the above mentioned tussle, you still have to grapple with personal responsibilities and commitments which are a toll order on their own. Some of these include the act that enrolling for study is not legally authorized by the educational authorities where we are currently employed but instead it is a  collegial understanding with the immediate supervisor. This has resulted to intermittent conflicts and misunderstanding with the immediate supervisors in the work place. In the same vein, there are problems in the families between spouses, in-laws, parents and children.

These challenges have resulted  in a number of  ripple effects on the students. They range from stress related illnesses, high dropout rate, suicidal thought,  psychological distress, job losses, family/relationships breakups and indebtedness to mention some. All these  present a challenge for students to strike a balance between the demanding personal responsibilities and academic commitments.

The study might be useful in orienting the students about the importance of consistent and committed study groups. It might also empower the counselling department by exposing it to the specific challenges faced by students specifically in the IDE B Ed Secondary Programme. It will also create an awareness  among the students themselves on how to navigate and surmount the obstacles so that they can complete their studies successfully.

Problem statement
IDE students face unique challenges in the course of their studies.  Unlike full time learners who have regular contact with their lecturers and peers, IDE students have limited face-to-face sessions with their course lecturers and tutors.  In addition, they are isolated from one another as they live in different places and see one another only when they attend face-to-face sessions on campus.  They also have to juggle their studies with work and personal commitments.  Such circumstances may negatively impact on their personal well-being and ultimately on their academic performance.  To attain academic success under such circumstances, IDE learners find themselves practically compelled to creatively establish workable strategies by which to cope.  We have observed from anecdotal information as we share our experiences that the study group has been one such coping strategy.  This study seeks to investigate the ways in which the study group enables Level 3 IDE learners in the B Ed Secondary Programme to cope with their work and thus play a positive role in their learning experience.

Literature Review
Our understanding of a peer study group is a group of students that are in the same Programme who decided to learn collaboratively. In some instances , the study group is not  confined to  academic work , but also extends to catering for social, economic, and emotional needs of the study group members. Boud (2001) posits that peer learning involves learning from each other without any implied authority to any individual. This is based on the tenet that students learn better by explaining their ideas to others and participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers. IDE is the kind of learning whereby the learners work independently with occasional contact with the lecturers for direction, guidance and support. Distance learning is a way of learning remotely that can be defined as a method of studying specifically designed for students who are separated from lecturers by physical distance.

Distance education has been associated with a high dropout rate which in fact is a biggest drawback facing this form of education. Distance education dropout rates reportedly vary between 30% and 68% (Pithers and Twyford, 2000). Carr (2000) observes that the dropout rate in distance education courses is not only an issue in Quebec – Canada), but one that is a challenge to the whole world. That being the case, UNISWA IDE B.Ed Secondary students, as distance learnners, are no exception to being affected in this way. Dropping out of IDE courses has negative consequences for the students, institution and the society. Incompletion or failure of a first distance course may prevent students from taking other distance courses (Moore and Kearsley, 1996). It may also have a negative impact on the student’s self-esteem and self-confidence. From an institutional point of view, it may be considered a sign of inefficiency in terms of cost of training, loss of students, lowering success rates. Finding ways to help students persevere in their courses seems to be the best way to improve achievement in distance education courses.

According to Abrahamson (1998), there is a sense of isolation experienced by learners in distance education unlike in traditional education where learners are expected to be in contact with each other and their educators frequently and constantly on a daily basis. Scholars such as Weimer (2017)  posit  that there are some merits of peer education study groups such as helping each other in addressing questions that arise in the course before getting assistance from the professor. They can help each other by critiquing views and opinions, offering advice, sharing information or registering an opinion. It is dynamic since students regularly learn from each other. Weimer (year of publication) further affirms that peer learning is something lecturers should inculcate because it is easy for peers to seek help from each other than from a professor.

Peer education is an instructional strategy that is helpful in higher education. Guido (2017) echoes Weimer that peer teaching develops reasoning and critical thinking skills. He further reveals that students who work in groups typically do better in tests that involve critical thinking skills.  It also improves confidence and interpersonal skills, like organization, collaboration and communication. Briggs (2013) posits that students feel more comfortable and open when interacting with other peers. The peer study group gives the lecturer less stress since the learners educate themselves. There is more time for individualized learning.

Having reviewed a sample of related scholarly literature,  it is evident that the ways in which IDE learners use a standing study group is an issue that warrants investigation  Evidence form existing literature suggests that  most of the scholars  have focused on group learning in general  that a constant peer study group. The studies have also been confined to specific subjects and group learning in general. Based in a unique context, our proposed study is therefore going to fill in a gap in knowledge locally and globally. By inquiring into the role of a constant peer study group in the learning experience of UNISWA Level 3 IDE B.Ed. Secondary students in  the 2017/2018 academic year, this promises to yield novel findings and further inform the teaching and learning practices that are part of the academic culture .

Objectives of the study
The objectives of the study are to:
  •    Sketch the demographic profile of UNISWA Level 3 IDE B Ed. Secondary students in the 2017/2018 academic year.
  •     Describe the ways in which 2017/2018 UNISWA Level 3 IDE B Ed. Secondary students use a standing study group as a learning strategy and practice.
  •    Identify the  organisational strategies by which the 2017/208 UNISWA Level 3 IDE B Ed. Secondary learners manage and sustain their collaborative learning activities

Justification of the study
The present research is one of the few in-depth case studies of IDE UNISWA with a focus on peer study group support. It covers the major issues in the field of peer study group support, and discusses small group as a form of peer group support. The study questions the relationship between peer study group support systems and different approaches to learning, and further questions how to design a peer study group support system for supporting an engaged, collaborative distance learner and for fostering their creative, critical or independent thinking skills. At the same time, in the analysis, consideration is given to the special  characteristics of IDE UNISWA B. ED Secondary students, keeping in mind the  current learning and social context in Swaziland.

Results from this study can be used to share knowledge and perceptions about the peer study group support issues, based on the case of IDE UNISWA, with researchers, practitioners and policy makers. These results may also contribute to some new knowledge and insights on related issues in the field of peer study group support of distance education, worldwide. The study might be useful in orienting the students about the importance of constant peer study groups. It might also empower the counselling department by exposing it to the specific challenges faced by students specifically in the IDE B Ed Secondary Programme. It will also create an awareness to the students themselves on how to navigate and surmount the obstacles inclined to the Programme without considerable hindrances.

Scope
The study will specifically focus on the role of a consistent peer study group in the learning experience of the 2017/2018 UNISWA Level 3 IDE B.Ed Secondary  students. 

Methodology
This is a qualitative  study that will adopt  a case study approach  to obtain relevant data from a non-representative sample of participants  among THE 2017/2018 level 3 UNISWA IDE learners. The study will take a phenomenological approach in investigating their personal experiences under this program. We will use an interview and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guides as data collection instruments. The semi-structured interview and FGD will be used in order to triangulation towards increasing the authenticity, credibility and dependability of data.

Limitations of the study
Since the participants in the study will be small population, its findings cannot be generalized to apply to the entire UNISWA student population. In addition, it is a challenge to guard against sentimentality in the data collection process given that were are both researchers and insiders in this study.  To offset this challenge, we will deliberately create space for reflexivity and to weave the information emerging from the reflexive accounts into the research project report.

REFERENCES
Abrahamson, C. E. (1998). Issues in interactive communication in distance education. College Students Journal, 32(1), 33-43
Boud (2001). Introduction: Making the Move to Peer Learning. London: Kogan Page Ltd
Briggs, S. (2013). How Peer Teaching Improves Student Learning and 10 ways to encourage it. Retrieved May 04, 2018 https://www.consumerclassroom.eu/content/how-peer-teaching-improves-student-learning-and-10-ways-encourage-it
Carr, S. (2000). As distance education comes of age, the challenge is keeping the students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 46(23), A39-A41.
Guido, M. (2017). Advantages and Disadvantages of Peer Teaching. Retrieved May 04, 2018 https://www.prodigygame.com/blog/advantages-disadvantages-peer-teching-strategies/
Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (1996). Distance education: Asystem view. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Pithers, B., & Twyford, K. (2000). The effect of telephone contact as a means of student support in distance education. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Vocational Education Research, 8(2), 91-109
Schling, M. (2017). “How to use modern technology to collect high quality data” Retrieved May 02, 2018 https://blogs.iadb.org/desarrolloefectivo_en/2017/08/03/how-to-use-modern-technology-to-collect-high-quality-data/
Weimer, M. (2017). The Benefits of Peer Learning. Magna Publications
Wiersema, N. (2000). How does collaborative learning actually work in a classroom and how do students react to it? A brief reflection.

Senzo Tsela and Bongani Mhlanga
after defending their proposal topics
Major Shoulder and Bongani Mhlanga at
UNESWA library



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