Tutors’ role of supporting

Tutors’ role of supporting was developed into two disciplines which were 1) Feedback from tutors and 2) Assistance from tutors (Figure 6). Feedback from tutors described the students’ perceptions on the received feedback or evaluation from tutors during the whole process of PBL, which were divided into individual feedback for students and feedback based on group presentation. Assistance from tutors contained tutors’ assistance in information searching, supports and encouragements, and professional backgrounds of tutors.

Class Subcategoy

Main category

Tutors’ role of guiding

Guidance from tutors

Guidance for question formulation

Guidance for students

Improvement of guiding roles

Consistence of tutors

Tasks of tutors

Feedback from tutors was expected to be supplied to students during the whole cycle of PBL without delay and be provided promptly and efficiently so as to encourage the students making further progress and advancement in the following PBL circles. The students experienced and also continued to expect the tutors continuously provide individual feedback on the students’ personal reports and share comments on the searching finding related to PBL case. The tutors evaluated the students’ individual written reports by grading, but the students required the tutors to provide more advices concerning how the students develop the learning skills and knowledge for further advancements in the following PBL process. It was indicated that the students were lacking in objectively constructive comments from the tutors.

“I think the tutor could also give individual feedback based on everybody’s own reporting of the subject. Even though we received individual grades, we did not know demands for good grades were. Also the teachers could have commented on the final outcomes of the PBL.” Participant 8

In addition, the participant expected that timely feedback from the tutors could be given to the students all individually rather than groups. It would be more welcome by the students to receive the specified evaluation and feedback regarding the previous group tasks and individual assignments before starting the new PBL cycle. Supportive feedback in time could also influence the progress of participants in the following PBL process.

“Timely feedback. It would have been better if feedback was given on each task before moving on to a new task.” Participant 17

Tutor’s role of giving comments upon the students’ presentations was not presented apparently according to the answers of the participants. The participants thought that tutors watched for student delivering the speech rather than monitoring the content of group presentations. Meanwhile, students wondered whether the tutors focused on the group presentation. The students considered tutors’ expression of opinions as the manner to prove whether students’ work were valued critically by tutors. It was emphasized to claim the necessary for the students to receive tutors’ attention and precious feedback based on tutors’

consideration with accuracy and precision.

“Now they were mostly just watching how students worked together without really paying attention to the content of the reports or presentations. At least they did not comment those.” Participant 8

“In my thought, teachers must pay particular attention to what students are presenting and give feedback.” Participant 14

Assistances from tutors were distributed into three parts that were tutors’ assistance with information searching, supports and encouragements, and professional backgrounds of tutors.

The tutor should be responsible to share advices and supply supports of searching for information effectively so that the students have the convenience to find the problem related materials to formulate the resolutions. Confirmed by the students’ answers, there were difficulties for them in searching materials. A set of classroom sessions with teachers were suggested by the students to arrange before starting the PBL, which was thought as useful and advantageous manner in the promotion of capacity for exploring various sources of information.

“After students finding formulating questions, teachers should give information to students on where to find materials that can easily answer the questions. Sometimes, finding materials to answer questions were quite difficult.” Participant 7

Regarding supports and encouragements, the tutors stimulated students to assimilate the cooperative atmosphere generated within the group work but also pay attention on the cultivation of capacity of independent learning themselves. The participant reflected the level of students’ satisfaction was influenced by the degree of tutor’s involvement into the students’ learning process of PBL. The participants also expected that the tutors can maintain the same spirit to assist the students to overcome the difficulties. It was also required for the need of tutors’ closer participation within the PBL process.

“The general support of the tutors was important for me. They encouraged team work, but at the same time independence.” Participant 17

“They have been involved and the best they can do is to continue in the same spirit.”

Participant 11

With the participant’s description, tutors with vast professional nursing experience gained good impression from the students. Tutors’ professional experience were considered to be the effective support resource for assisting students to understand relative concepts and approaches with broad and advanced views, especially regarding to some complex medical knowledge. The tutors were good at to utilize metaphor-like example to explain the abstract conceptions well until the students could figure out the thoughts.

“The tutors had a vast experience in their nursing related career. When they see that some students will not be able to understand it in the complexity of medical perspective, they will explain it in a figure of speech, for example in a metaphor-like manner, which is great.” Participant 16

Figure 6. Tutors’ role of supporting