Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Background: The situation for mothers and newborns in least developed countries remains challenging, with preventable deaths occurring during childbirth. The Southeast Asia region faces a significant shortage of midwives and nurses trained in midwifery care, and additional midwives and nurses will be needed to meet the demand by 2030. The use of professional midwives is crucial in reducing these deaths. However, there is a global shortage of skilled healthcare professionals, including midwives, which hinders progress in achieving universal health coverage. Developing knowledgeable, competent, and autonomous midwives is essential to provide quality care. Higher learning institutions in low- and middle-incomecountries must address this need and focus on policy-level strategies to ensure the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of human resources for health. Developed by Malcolm Knowles in 1968, Adult Learning Theory or andragogy is the concept or study of how adults learn and how it differs from children. Adult learning aims to show how adult learning is distinct and identify the learning styles which suit them best.
Aim: The aim is to investigate motivating factors in adult learning for Bangladeshi midwifery educators engaged in a blended online and onsite master’s program provided by Dalarna University, Sweden.
Method: This study is an exploratory qualitative study using semi-structured individual interviews among Bangladeshi Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) masterstudents or degree holders, and the data analysed using qualitative content analysis inspired by Elo and Kyngäs (2008).
Results: Overall, the study findings shed light on the motivating factors faced by Bangladeshi midwifery educators engaged in a blended online and onsite master’s program provided by Dalarna University, Sweden. The motivating factors for completion of the program were 1) being a woman in higher education 2) motivation 3) capability 4) responsibility to implement acquired knowledge 5) managing self-leadership in learning activities 6) enjoying flipped classroom pedagogy 7) digital pedagogy.
Conclusion: The Bangladeshi educators were affected by the wider Bangladeshi society in their view what was expected in the Swedish education system from students enrolled in adult higher education. The alumni’s capacity can enhance knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in midwifery creating a career path of quality education inspired by how it was taught at a foreign university.
2023.
Midwifery education, Higher education, Digital pedagogies, Quality education, Quality healthcare