University students’ experiences of the teaching and learning of an acupuncture programme : a South African case study

Abstract

The quality of teaching and learning in educational programmes at higher education institutions (HEIs) cannot be overemphasised. This is of particular importance in skills programmes, such as acupuncture, because the teaching and learning of acupuncture at HEIs significantly influence students' competence in the world of work. Acupuncture is one of the most popular alternative treatments globally and contributes to improving public health. To provide quality acupuncture services to the public, HEIs must ensure that their students are competent in implementing the knowledge and skills gained in the programmes. The focus of this study is to explore students' experiences with the teaching and learning of the acupuncture programme at a South African HEI. A conceptual framework adapted from Shulman's (1986) Pedagogical Content Knowledge model and Mishra and Koehler's (2006) Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge model was utilised as a theoretical lens in this study. A descriptive qualitative single case study design was employed. The authors adopted a purposive sampling technique to recruit ten participants from the identified HEI. The findings of this study revealed that students' ambivalent experiences in the acupuncture programme. The findings will contribute to the improvement of quality teaching and learning of an acupuncture programme. This study concluded that diverse teaching and learning strategies should be implemented in the acupuncture programme, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.