The peer education is based on some key words such as “peer”, “teaching”, “learning” and “clinical education”. The characteristics of the peer education they are basically the equivalence of status of educators and students, the possibility of making students who become educators responsible and involved, the strengthening of the sense of personal and collective efficacy of the children, the possibility of learning in small groups which allows for the development of greater confidence among those who are part of it, the mutual teaching between both parties and the evaluation of student educators in the acquisition of their skills.
This is a sort of reversal of the traditional model of education (asymmetric tutorial teaching), which tends to involve young people in more or less restrictive and manipulative forms, so that they absorb programs and contents unilaterally established by adults.
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The peer educationon the contrary, aims to recognize and promote an active role of students, who become conscious protagonists of their own education. The educational relationship thus becomes a democratic experience, in which the interaction between educators and “students” is based on symmetry, equality, complementarity and mutual control, whereas the classical educational relationship is asymmetrical, and the power concentrated there tends to be placed on one side only. In this research, studies of peer education aimed at university courses, especially the degree course in Nursing.
Peer teaching methodology produces mutual benefits in terms of academic performance and also enhances the learning experience for those who participate. Benefits have been reported, including the potential to improve the quality of learning and grant authority to students, developing the ability to make judgments and improving communication and interaction skills. Potential disadvantages have included assigning bias and peer friction, discomfort in evaluating peers’ work, and the feeling of feeling inadequately trained for the role of judge.
The study by Ramn, Thompson and Jackson in 2015 considers the teaching and peer assessment method associated with the nursing simulation technique. In the qualitative research, responses were collected to a questionnaire administered to first-year and third-year nursing students who had participated in this activity that consisted of performing the dressing procedure in an aseptic manner. In this study, it was noted that the student learners appreciated the “relaxed learning style” and “accessibility to teachers”.
The study demonstrates how peer interaction is desirable and enhances metacognitive learning in learners who identify with the opinions and views of colleagues and friends in their peer group. Senior students described the experience positively, speaking of a development in their communication skills, while student learners gained from the social interaction offered by working together with more experienced students, sharing advice and suggestions to enhance their learning and increase future practice.
The concept of peer learning It was described by Bound in 2001 as “a two-way, mutual learning activity.” He talks about “sharing knowledge, ideas, and experiences” in a way that benefits both parties involved. Ross and Cumming in 2005 describe this approach as: “any situation in which people learn from, or with, other people with a similar level of training, background, or other shared characteristics.”
These authors suggest the possible benefits of this approach: reinforcement and review of learning, provision of feedback, promotion of responsibility, increased self-confidence, development of teaching, communication, evaluation skills, ability to work well in groups (teams). The professional standards of contemporary nursing practice support as an important goal the ability to teach and educate others (nurse educator role).
It is well established that nursing practice is based on theory. For this reason, it is important to study the learning methodologies of procedural skills of future nurses and their use in clinical training, a fundamental part of nursing education. Ramacciati and De Angelis in 2012 experimented with a training intervention, which, based on assumptions derived from andragogy, was structured in the form of a training laboratory with interactive teaching, simulation sessions, mentoringand intensive student involvement.
The general lines of the program were therefore focused on the simulation of the application of critical thinking and the nursing process in the analysis of some clinical cases (emergency/urgency scenarios and ward clinical cases). The two authors define nursing as: “diagnosis and treatment of the human response, of the individual or the community, to current or potential health needs”. A categorical imperative for our profession is to raise the level of “awareness” of nurses on the specificity of their function.
Authors: Gessica Angelini, Domenico Dentico, Raffaele Manzari, Giulia Vainella
Bibliography
Bryer, J. 2012. Peer tutoring for academic success of returning nursing students, J,N,Y. State Nurses Assoc. 43(1), 20.
Guidelines for peer education among young people aimed at AIDS prevention, edited by Gary R. Svenson, European Commission, 1998.
Ramacciati N, De Angelis A. Educational laboratory on the bifocal model of clinical practice and “critical thinking”. 2012 Jan; 1- 5.
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