Students’ views on the sustained impact of a learning approach developed by blending pedagogy to prepare for professional practice: Introducing “Daybook”

Abstract

Introduction: Daybook is an enquiry-based teaching and learning approach that blends various adult learning theories. It is designed to equip and prepare a new graduate to do a designated job in the workplace. It supports the safe beginner to undertake high-level thinking that permits adaptation to unfamiliar challenges of the job, as well as use of continuous learning strategies to do the job better. Its aim is to support four main pedagogic pillars of learning: preparing for practice, educating for employability, enhancing capability over competence and lifelong learning. Methods: A study using three successive student cohorts evaluated the perceived sustained impact of Daybook on learners’ clinical practice following graduation and entry into the workplace. Using a questionnaire with open-ended, opinion and closed questions, descriptive quantitative analysis was used on numerical data, and qualitative data underwent a deductive thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative and qualitative results supported one another to identify that the four pedagogic pillars of learning were all impacted positively by use of Daybook. Enhancing capability was the most influenced area. Each of the four areas, although discrete academic entities, demonstrated overlap and commonality. Conclusions: Although an academic exercise, Daybook is perceived to support users’ undergraduate learning across the four domains of educating for employability, preparing for practice, enhancing capability and lifelong learning, and this impact sustains through the transition from student to independent practitioner when they qualify.