Conceptions about evaluative practices among teachers of university nursing programs

Abstract

The method to understand and carry out the evaluation process is related to teacher training and the guidelines followed in their professional practice. There are different theoretical positions around the concept of the evaluative process, ranging from classical measurement approaches to modern pedagogical perspectives based on constructivism. In Nursing careers, as in most contemporary schools and colleges, the constructivist position has been chosen as a model. However, teachers continue to apply the traditionalist approaches they have practiced throughout their professional careers. The present research, forms part of the qualitative model, of descriptive and interpretative nature, that proposed to analyze the main characteristics: concepts, approaches, forms of planning, instruments and methodologies adopted by nursing teachers during the evaluation process in order to establish the degree of coherence between the pedagogical approach of the University and the evaluation guidelines of the program. The analysis was carried out through open, axial and selective theoretical coding, which resulted in a referential category system. The information was triangulated in two planes. The first one, between the subjects themselves, seeking to understand the trends of the evaluative model of the proposed categories, and the second one, in contrast with the theoretical framework and contextual references. The results of the research revealed a trend towards behavioral and traditional evaluation respectively; the students hold the teacher responsible for this model choice as the teacher plays the main role in the evaluation process.

Keywords

• concepts of evaluation
• evaluation practices
• evaluation of learning