Revisiting student's learning experiences appreciatively: Findings from a course evaluation using an appreciative inquiry process
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
ISSN: 2050-7003
Article publication date: 2 September 2014
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focuses on the use of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to acquire and analyse student's life-centric experiences in an undergraduate early childhood course entitled, “Philosophy in Action”. The course has as a foundational belief that a teacher's sense of identity is central to effective teaching. As such, this research sought to capture the essence of the connection between students’ beliefs about early childhood teaching and the real world of practice.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an AI approach peak performances were analysed for causes of success and emergent themes, after which provocative propositions and an action plan were co-constructed.
Findings
The findings of this research evoke discourse around the influence of the student-teacher relationship as a means of enhancing life centric learning experiences in educational programmes.
Originality/value
The authors wondered whether an AI approach to a course evaluation might open themes that show a taken-for-granted depth of the learning experiences. The authors were not disappointed.
Keywords
Citation
Giles, D. and Kung, S. (2014), "Revisiting student's learning experiences appreciatively: Findings from a course evaluation using an appreciative inquiry process", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 6 No. 2, pp. 215-230. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-01-2012-0002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited