While exploring different adult learning theories to support my Flexible learning plan, and therefore trying to identify concepts central to my own adult learning philosophy, I found myself again considering the reasons I took the opportunity to become involved in midwifery education and more specifically, what I thought I could offer to students undertaking their midwifery degrees. I also reread some of my earlier work in the GCTLT around adult learning theory and some of this reading informs my writing here. While I am aware my philosophy is still developing I realize I have several tenets which I believe are my core beliefs about why I am doing what I am doing. These are relevant, being central to my developing philosophy and are what I currently bring to my interaction with the students.
• I acknowledge and respect the prior knowledge surrounding childbirth each student brings with them to this degree. Many of these students are mothers themselves, and all belong to families, are daughters and friends. They have complex lives and experiences away from this programme –both previously and currently –which influence and contribute to the knowledge and experience they bring to any interaction surrounding childbirth
• I believe in the students. I believe they are capable of successfully completing the acaedemic and practical requirements of this degree and they they know I will support them through this process
• I have high expectations of each student’s performance and contribution to the programme. The students know I ensure I am aware of how they are progressing and that they keep up to date with clinical placement requirements, assignments and other course work
• I believe that to maintain my credibility as a midwifery lecturer, remaining grounded in midwifery practice is crucial. I therefore continue to have a small caseload of women for whom I remain the Lead Maternity Carer in addition to my OP responsibilities. This also aids the students learning process as students follow several women’s childbirth experiences -including some women from my own caseload -each year
• I demonstrate a commitment to ongoing education by continuing to study myself. I also fully participate in the Midwifery Council of New Zealand’s (MCNZ) recertification programme in order to retain my Practicing Certificate
I believe students learn most effectively by utilizing a variety of teaching styles to first reflect on new information received. I therefore attempt to incorporate the elements of VARK (Fleming, 2010) when planning to facilitate a session with the students to address the different learning preferences they may have. The students then reach a level of understanding that enables effective integration with information previously held before being able to apply the resultant learning into a new situation, implying that some learning has taken place.
Smith (1999) identifies four different approaches to learning theory (behaviourist, cognitivist, humanist and social/situational) attempting to explain the purpose and process of learning and education –how or why change occurs –and the role that educators may take depending on the different approach used. Ravenscroft (2011) has developed the theory of Connectivism. This learning theory is based on the premise that knowledge exists in the world rather than within an individual’s head and that learning as a process of creating connections and developing networks (Ravenscroft, 2011). When attempting to apply each of these theoretical approaches to my facilitation role I decided that the humanist and social/situational approaches each had relevance to the midwifery context and inform the way I choose to facilitate the students learning.
The humanistic orientation to learning is concerned with the potential for human growth. One of the best known supporters of this approach –Carl Rogers (1985) –elaborates on this defining it as a helping relationship where at least one of the parties has the intention of promoting growth, development, maturity and more functional use of the individual’s latent inner resources which can be seen to be a client (read learner) centered approach. Rogers (1985) believes this defines the relationship between teacher and student. Further, the humanistic approach encourages the development of the whole person (Smith, 1999). When assessing Rogers (1985) work on the core conditions for effective facilitative practice, the qualities of a facilitator which I would aspire to be are I believe reflected in the core concepts of my own facilitation style as dot pointed above. These include the facilitator being much more likely to be effective if she acts genuinely with no façade, caring for the student, prizing the individual student as a person in their own right worthy of trust and being empathetic to and having an empathetic understanding of the student and their situation (Rogers, 1967). The ability to empathize is a quality I value in myself and attempt to integrate into my daily life including my interaction with the students believing it will make a difference to the quality of our relationships. This view is supported by Thorne (1992) who believes Rogers’ work is based on Rogers’ experience that once people feel that their own experience is respected and understood, they become increasingly trustworthy. Rogers promotes educators being accepting of and valuing the learner, stating we cannot teach another person but instead can only facilitate learning (Smith, 2004, 1997). The role of the facilitator is to create an environment suitable for students learning to take place (Smith, 2004, 1997).
This ability of the educator to create an environment for the student which is conducive to learning is an integral part of the social/situational approach to learning. Social learning theory supports the notion that people learn from observing others in a social setting (Merriam & Caffarella, 1999). This approach supports the idea of learning being a process of social participation happening over time with people (students) starting by joining communities. Communities of practice are groups of people who share a common concern for something they do and by interacting regularly, learn how to do it better (Wenger, 2006). Students begin their learning while on the periphery of the community where the things they are involved in may be less key to the community than of other members. The students move toward the centre of the community as they become more competent and more involved in the main processes of the community (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theory is based on observations of different apprenticeships including a group of midwives. The educator’s role is to encourage students towards social situations which provide a suitable context for learning to take place believing that by participating in frameworks that have structure i.e. a community of practice, learning takes place as a process of social participation.
Given the context of current midwifery education and my knowledge of midwifery practice and the wider benefits and implications of belonging to the midwifery community, Lave and Wenger’s (1991) theory resonates strongly for me as I believe it provides an explanation of how to promote effective student learning within the current midwifery context. Student midwives start their midwifery education very much on the periphery of both the midwifery community and the community of childbearing women. However, during the three years of formal undergraduate midwifery education, as their knowledge and experience grows through a combination of theory and practical experiences, it is hoped the students’ confidence and competence increases and they begin to take a more active part in the care provided to women, and within the midwifery profession itself.
By the time the students gain their midwifery degree and successfully complete the National Midwifery Examination they are considered to be competent and confident enough to enter the midwifery register as a beginning practitioner. Formal education does not stop there however, and most midwifery graduates enroll in the NZ College of Midwives (NZCOM) Midwifery First Year of Practice programme (MFYP) to receive mentoring support from experienced midwives while they move through their first year of autonomous practice growing in confidence and competence as they gain further experience (Shaw, 2010). New graduates are also encouraged to not only belong to but to take an active role in the NZCOM within their local region throughout their career for ongoing education and peer support. Midwives must fully participate in the recertification requirements set by the Midwifery Council of NZ to maintain their Practicing Certificates which are issued annually. Remaining in the centre of the community also has obligations to other midwives and to the midwifery profession in addition to childbearing women and their families.
I will continue to try and include features of both the humanistic and social/situational learning theory into my facilitation methods (and into my Flexible learning plan) and will continue to reflect on the process as I further develop my own adult learning philosophy. Meanwhile I will continue to enjoy the feelings of success at something I feel I have done well and try and deal with the times when I feel overwhelmed with feelings of self doubt. The way I get through it all is to keep focused on the students taking inspiration from observing their progress, while continuing to tell myself over and over “you can do this”.
References
Fleming, N. (2010). VARK. Retrieved from hppt://www.vark_learn.com/English/page.asp?p=faq
Lave, J., * Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: University of Cambridge Press. Cited in Smith, M.K. (2003, 2009). Communities of practice. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm
Merriam, S, & Caffarella, R. (1999). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (2nd ed.).San Francisco, USA: Jossey-Bass. Cited in Smith, M.K. (2003, 2009). Communities of practice. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/communities_of_practice.htm
Ravenscroft, A. (2011). Dialogue and connectivism: A new approach to understanding and promoting dialogue-rich networked learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning 12(3), 1-11. Retrieved from hppt://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/issue/view/44
Rogers, C.R. (1985). The characteristics of a helping relationship. In Ella Monica (Ed.),The humanistic nursing process (pp. 319-329). California, USA: Wadsworth Inc.
Rogers, C.R. (1967). On becoming a person: A therapist’s view of psychotherapy. London, UK: Constable. Cited in Smith, M. K. (2004, 1997). Carl Rogers: Core conditions and education. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rogers.htm
Shaw, A. (2010). The midwifery first year of practice (MFYP) programme. New Zealand College of Midwives (Inc) Midwifery News, 56, 13.
Smith, M.K. (2004, 1997). Carl Rogers: Core conditions and education. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rogers.htm
Smith , M.K. (1999). Learning theory. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm
Thorne, B. (1992). Carl Rogers. London, UK, Sage. Cited in Smith, M.K. (1999). Learning theory. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved from www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm
Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from http;://www.ewenger.com/theory/
