TEACHING THE RESEARCH PROCESS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY LEARNING

Abstract

A teaching method to capture and maintain students' interest during their first exposure to research content required only 3 hours of class time and involved students in a participatory role as data collectors. With Instructor assistance, the class designed a study to explore the image of nurses held by Missourlans compared with the damaging television stereotypes identified by Kalisch and Kalisch. The steps of the research process were addressed in relation to the class project and at a level of sophistication to match the learners. Motivation and sustained interest in the project were demonstrated In students' willingness to collect data on their own time and in their positive evaluation of the experience.