Reflecting on Students’ Reflections: Exploring Students’ Experiences in Order to Enhance Course Delivery

Learning qualitative research skills can be a daunting process for students given characteristics such as its subjective and time-consuming nature. I therefore wanted to understand in detail my students’ course experiences by exploring the (i) literal and metaphorical language that they utilized to describe their experiences with qualitative research; (ii) challenges they faced in undertaking qualitative research; and (iii) personal and course triumphs shared by students. Using a generic qualitative research design, I undertook document analysis of a sample of written coursework reflections from 17 of my master’s level students. Findings showed that students had an emotional experience of lows and highs as they engaged with the qualitative research process, that they embraced the opportunity to engage with practical and experiential learning activities, that their appreciation for qualitative research grew, and that peer support was an important element in motivating them throughout the course. Thus, I recommend the integration of opportunities for more practical, experiential learning activities and peer work for those delivering qualitative research courses.