Incorporation of Project‐based Learning into an Occupational Health Course

Abstract

Incorporation of Project‐based Learning into an Occupational Health Course: Alireza DEHDASHTI, et al. Occupational Health Department, Faculty of Health, Research Center for Social Determinants of Health, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Iran— Objective Use of an appropriate teaching approach is a major concern for faculty members who are involved in occupational health and safety academic education. The challenge is to explore teaching tools to equip students with knowledge and skills to prepare them for their practices, in which they will encounter occupational health and safety issues in various occupational settings. The current study presents the design and implementation of a team project‐based learning approach for undergraduate occupational health students to examine the appropriateness and perceptions of students and educators with regard to such a learning experience. Methodology: Steps were taken to guide the educators and students through the learning process based on projects completed in teams. The research tools for collecting data were a questionnaire and semi‐structured interviews with participants. Results The results illustrated that use of the proposed teaching approach as part of occupational health education may have the potential to motivate and enhance the active roles of educators and students in the learning process, and improve students' technical and social skills that are crucial for practice in the occupational health field. Conclusions The study findings showed that project‐based learning may provide a promising teaching strategy in the education and training of occupational health students. In addition, academic institutions should encourage educators to plan, introduce and evaluate the effectiveness of project‐based learning.

Collective strategy for facing occupational risks of a nursing team

“…In this sense, participatory construction of knowledge is a methodological strategy that takes into account the daily experience of the individuals involved and aims to achieve greater power and intervention in social relations that interfere in the quality of their lives, insofar as the educational dimension is focused on nursing work (13) . Moreover, educational actions in which there is subject and manager involvement, and which is based on real problems in the workplace leads them to have independence and to take responsibility for their own learning and self-learning, which is an important result for occupational health education (14) . Group adherence to the activity is fundamental (15) .…”

Evaluation of an undergraduate occupational health program in Iran based on alumni perceptions: a structural equation model

“…Our study revealed that curriculum and program administration both directly and indirectly influenced the outcomes variable through the faculty variable. A previous study recommended that evaluations of academic programs should be focused not only on curricula, but also on the activity of the faculty [ 5 ]. Research has strongly pointed out that student-faculty interactions are crucial to learners’ academic performance, outcomes, and satisfaction [ 11 , 12 ].…”

“…The type of instructional method in higher education plays an important role in providing students with knowledge, skills, and attitude-based competencies in their specific professional environment [ 7 , 11 ]. An educational approach that engages students in problem-solving, projects, and research in which learners structure and organize their knowledge, simulating situations that they may face in the real work environment, may be helpful for improving educational outcomes and preparing graduates for their future careers [ 5 , 12 ].…”

“…In a previous study, researchers assessed the quality of faculty members according to achievements in education, training, research, and scholarship [ 4 ]. Previous research reported that faculty members who focused on improving the overall quality of their teaching could enhance the students’ level of motivation and higher-order thinking skills [ 5 ]. However, investigating whether faculty members influence overall academic performance and outcomes remains an important professional issue [ 6 ].…”

Antecedents of Job Performance of Tourism Graduates: Evidence from State University-Graduated Employees in Sri Lanka

“…Most evaluation studies in academic environments have focused on the curriculum, teaching and learning methods, student-faculty interactions, and student outcomes (Mehralizadeh et al, 2017) In a previous study, researchers assessed the quality of faculty members according to achievements in education, training, research, and scholarship (Arimoto et al, 2012). Previous research reported that faculty members who focused on improving the overall quality of their teaching could enhance the students' level of motivation and higher-order thinking skills (Dehdashti et al, 2013). However, investigating whether faculty members influence overall academic performance and outcomes remains an important professional issue (Brown et al, 2011).…”