Negotiating conflicting discourses of quality teaching in Fiji: initial teacher education and practicum at the University of the South Pacific

This article identifies a number of conflicting discourses informing education in Fiji and their impact on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students. The socially constructivist progressivism of the Ministry of Education and the ITE provider is being eroded by a set of socially conservative discourses symptomatic of neoliberal education reforms elsewhere. It is the Practicum where the conflict is most acutely evidenced. To highlight the conflict 90 ITE students, as ethno-graphic fieldworkers, have used an accepted quality teaching checklist to record the teaching they witnessed while on practicum. The resulting misalignments between discourses of quality teaching identified in this article and highlighted by ITE students contributes to debates about what constitutes effective teaching in Fiji. Additionally, despite the multi-discursive reality of Fijian education the article suggests ITE based on a learning-centred rather than learner-centred approach where teachers make critical choices for teaching based on links between pedagogy, context and consequence

CHSI costing study-Challenges and solutions for cost data collection in private hospitals in India

INTRODUCTION: Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) has enabled the Government of India to become a strategic purchaser of health care services from private providers. To generate base cost evidence for evidence-based policymaking the Costing of Health Services in India (CHSI) study was commissioned in 2018 for the price setting of health benefit packages. This paper reports the findings of a process evaluation of the cost data collection in the private hospitals. METHODS: The process evaluation of health system costing in private hospitals was an exploratory survey with mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative). We used three approaches-an online survey using a semi-structured questionnaire, in-depth interviews, and a review of monitoring data. The process of data collection was assessed in terms of time taken for different aspects, resources used, level and nature of difficulty encountered, challenges and solutions. RESULTS: The mean time taken for data collection in a private hospital was 9.31 (± 1.0) person months including time for obtaining permissions, actual data collection and entry, and addressing queries for data completeness and quality. The longest time was taken to collect data on human resources (30%), while it took the least time for collecting information on building and space (5%). On a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) difficulty levels, the data on human resources was the most difficult to collect. This included data on salaries (8), time allocation (5.5) and leaves (5). DISCUSSION: Cost data from private hospitals is crucial for mixed health systems. Developing formal mechanisms of cost accounting data and data sharing as pre-requisites for empanelment under a national insurance scheme can significantly ease the process of cost data collection

Feasibility of implementing public-private mix approach for tuberculosis case management in Pokhara Metropolitan City of western Nepal: a qualitative study

BackgroundThe Public-Private Mix (PPM) approach is a strategic initiative that involves engaging all private and public health care providers in the fight against tuberculosis using international health care standards. For tuberculosis control in Nepal, the PPM approach could be a milestone. This study aimed to explore the barriers to a public-private mix approach in the management of tuberculosis cases in Nepal.MethodsWe conducted key informant interviews with 20 participants, 14 of whom were from private clinics, polyclinics, and hospitals where the PPM approach was used, two from government hospitals, and four from policymakers. All data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. The transcripts of the interviews were manually organized, and themes were generated and categorized into 1. TB case detection, 2. patient-related barriers, and 3. health-system-related barriers.ResultsA total of 20 respondents participated in the study. Barriers to PPM were identified into following three themes: (1) Obstacles related to TB case detection, (2) Obstacles related to patients, and (3) Obstacles related to health-care system. PPM implementation was challenged by following sub-themes that included staff turnover, low private sector participation in workshops, a lack of trainings, poor recording and reporting, insufficient joint monitoring and supervision, poor financial benefit, lack of coordination and collaboration, and non-supportive TB-related policies and strategies.ConclusionGovernment stakeholders can significantly benefit by applying a proactive role working with the private in monitoring and supervision. The joint efforts with private sector can then enable all stakeholders to follow the government policy, practice and protocols in case finding, holding and other preventive approaches. Future research are essential in exploring how PPM could be optimized

Teacher training at the University of the South Pacific

Joint Conference with Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e (UNTL), Dili, Timor-Leste and Victoria University (VU), Melbourne

Journal reflections of pre - service teachers during teaching practice in Fiji

This paper retells pre-service teachers’ reflecting on their experiences. These sketches of their experiences have been lifted from their reflective journals and are in its original form. It describes their hopes and desires for the classes they taught, their methods for appreciating those aspirations, and the tribulations and triumphs encountered in the process. These are remarkable anecdotes, for they are scholastically appealing and pleasingly personal. This complement of thoughtful perception and personal experience licenses the reader to both identify with and learn from them

Student teachers’ perceptions about teaching practice: a case study of the University of the South Pacific

Teaching practice/practicum is a compulsory course taken by the final year graduating teachers. Students are attached to various schools for classroom practice for 14 weeks. This presentation evaluates the students' experiences during teaching practice

Practicum at The University of the South Pacific: PhD Research Outcome “Student Voice”

Teaching practice is a central component in any teacher education program. It is also a time for student teachers to experiment with the knowledge obtained and put it into practice. Since this is their first real attempt in teaching, problems are expected to arise as teaching is a complex undertaking. This study was conducted in an effort to understand what the student teachers went through during their 14 week placement in secondary schools around Suva/Nausori corridor

Practicum at The University of the South Pacific: “Student Voice”

Teaching practice is a central component in any teacher education program. It is also a time for student teachers to experiment with the knowledge obtained and put it into practice. Since this is their first real attempt in teaching, problems are expected to arise as teaching is a complex undertaking. This study was conducted in an effort to understand what the student teachers went through during their 14 week placement in secondary schools around Suva/Nausori corridor