Obstacles to the pedagogical encounter between nursing faculty and students in different educational contexts

Abstract

In teaching, the teacher reasons and acts pedagogically, with a view to transforming the disciplinary content into learning. In an educational context, however, rather than by the teacher’s intention, learning is produced by the ability to establish a dialogical relationship between teachers and students. With this in mind, this collective case study with a qualitative approach is aimed at analyzing obstacles to the pedagogical encounter between teachers and nursing students of public and private universities in the South of Brazil. Two university professors from the nursing area and the students from the disciplines they taught participated in the study. Data collection took place between April 2014 and July 2015 and involved documents, interviews and observation, outlined in phases guided by Shulman’s constructs. The data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s constant comparison method, and the results are articulated in the metacategories: pedagogical reasoning and action as an obstacle; understanding and attitude of the student as an obstacle; and denial tactics of obstacles. The phases of comprehension, transformation and teaching of the pedagogical reasoning and action of the teachers are appointed as obstacles; understanding and expectations of students; attitudes of both towards setbacks. Franker sharing of expectations, intentions and evaluations between teachers and students is suggested in order to strengthen the pedagogical encounter.