Rauf Ayesha, Baig Lubna, Jaffery Tara, Shafi Riffat
Department of Health Professions Education, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Educ Health (Abingdon). 2014 Jan-Apr;27(1):28-33. doi: 10.4103/1357-6283.134303.
At Shifa College of Medicine, evaluation is an integral part of the curriculum. We used focus groups as a tool to obtain in-depth information regarding students' experience with the new integrated, system- based curriculum. The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of focus groups in identifying important issues for curriculum improvement and to explore the trustworthiness and representativeness of data obtained through this strategy.
In 2012, we used focus groups to seek feedback from students regarding their experience with the integrated curriculum. One course of each of the three preclinical years was selected for this purpose. Three parallel focus groups were conducted for each selected course. Each focus group was audio recorded, and the moderator and a volunteer student took additional notes during the session. The audio recordings were transcribed and data obtained from the three sources were analyzed, coded, and categorized independently by three investigators. Both manifest and latent themes were identified, using an inductive approach. Final agreement on themes was reached by comparison of the independently done thematic analysis by the three researchers. Reliability of data was established by comparing responses from the three parallel focus groups of each course. Trustworthiness of inferences was ensured by multiple coding, audit trail and member checking with focus group participants who reviewed the themes for validity.
Most of the data on students' perceptions of their courses from each of the parallel groups were in agreement: Similar themes were seen within groups of the same class as well as across the three preclinical years.
Focus groups can be a useful tool for collecting trustworthy and reliable information through a process that promotes interaction among student participants. They can support quantitative data from students and be used to support curriculum reform.
在希法医学院，评估是课程的一个组成部分。我们使用焦点小组作为一种工具，以获取有关学生对新的综合、基于系统的课程体验的深入信息。本研究的目的是探讨焦点小组在确定课程改进的重要问题方面的有用性，并探讨通过该策略获得的数据的可信度和代表性。
2012年，我们使用焦点小组从学生那里寻求关于他们对综合课程体验的反馈。为此，从三个临床前学年的每一年中选择一门课程。为每门选定的课程进行了三个平行的焦点小组。每个焦点小组都进行了录音，主持人和一名学生志愿者在会议期间做了额外的笔记。录音被转录，从三个来源获得的数据由三名研究人员独立进行分析、编码和分类。使用归纳法确定了显性和隐性主题。通过比较三名研究人员独立进行的主题分析，最终就主题达成了一致。通过比较每门课程的三个平行焦点小组的回答来确定数据的可靠性。通过多重编码、审计追踪以及与审查主题有效性的焦点小组参与者进行成员核对，确保了推论的可信度。
来自每个平行小组的关于学生对课程看法的大部分数据是一致的：在同一年级的小组内以及在三个临床前学年中都出现了类似的主题。
焦点小组可以是一种有用的工具，通过促进学生参与者之间互动的过程来收集可信和可靠的信息。它们可以支持来自学生的定量数据，并用于支持课程改革。
