Master of Health Sciences in Health Professions Education

Purpose

This focus on a career in health professions education necessitates research and literature-based knowledge and competence in the theory and practice of education for the health professions, for the lecturers to be equipped with the most effective teaching competencies and skills.

Rationale

In recent years, there has been an increased demand, with a concomitant proliferation, of qualifications at Master's level for Health Professions Education (HPE), in contrast to qualifications directed at the practices associated with the health environment. These qualifications are directed at teaching and learning practices in health education and are related to both academic career paths and accreditation practices for health education worldwide. Increasingly HPE faculty members are making education a focus of their professional roles and their future career paths.

A qualification in the field of health education is rapidly becoming a necessary credential for HPE leaders. Research required for graduation from these programmes may result in publications in refereed journals, thus supporting lecturers' promotion possibilities. The common goals of qualifications for HPE typically are to educate HPE leaders in: the theory and practice of HPE, direct teaching knowledge and skills, competencies to appraise HPE scholarship and produce HPE scholarship.

There is a need for the Master of Health Sciences in Health Professions Education (MHSc in Health Professions Education) for lecturers in Health Professions Education at the institution. It is also apparent that this qualification is necessary with the increase in lecturers in Health Sciences opting for a career focus in teaching and learning. Such a qualification will also address the need of other health professions educators such as nurse educators who want to focus on research in teaching and learning within the nursing profession at colleges or other higher education institutions.

Therefore, this qualification will provide for lecturers, who are currently employed as teachers and researchers in one of the health professions within a higher education and training environment, with an opportunity to enrol for a Postgraduate qualification at Level 9. The focus of this qualification is on health education research in the higher education context with the aim to advance scholarship of teaching and learning in Health Sciences, and to prepare the lecturers for further study.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The RPL policy of the institution acknowledges that the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) must be conducted in a valid, reliable and equitable way and that it must form part of the existing policy on the admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to the Master of Health Sciences in Health Professions Education is as follows

• A Bachelor Honours Degree in a field of health sciences, Level 8.

Or

• A Postgraduate Diploma at Level 8 in a field of health sciences.

Or

• A Bachelor's Degree at Level 8, with specialization in a field of health sciences.

And

• Proof of a minimum of 4 years of recent teaching and research experience in a field of health sciences at a higher education institution.

The following admission requirements are relevant to candidates with nursing qualifications

• A Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Diploma of Nursing Education.

And

• Proof of registration with the South African Nursing Council as a nurse educator or of an equivalent registration if the student is not a South African citizen.

This qualification comprises one compulsory module at Level 9, which makes this qualification a full dissertation

• Health Education Research, 180 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes

• Demonstrate specialist knowledge and critical understanding of the field of health science education appropriate to specific health professions within the higher education environment.
• Display the command of and the ability to select and execute appropriate and ethical research methodologies, including the design, methods, data analysis, and report writing for health science education research.
• Use the resources of academic and professional discourses to communicate and defend substantial ideas that are the products of research in an area of health education in a higher education context; and use a range of advanced and specialized skills to communicate findings and ideas to a range of appropriate audiences.
• Operate independently and take responsibility for own work in the higher education research context, thereby demonstrating the ability for effective resource management.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes to assess them:

• Conceptualise and design a comprehensive research project in the field of health professions education in the Higher Education context under the guidance of a study leader.
• Write a research proposal and a comprehensive literature overview on a relevant health science education research topic.
• Plan a research study selecting and motivating appropriate research methodology.
• Conduct an empirical research project in an ethical, proper and professional manner.
• Debate and defend research findings with other health profession education researchers.
• Communicate in a professional manner the research process and research findings through a dissertation, colloquiums and publications.

Integrated Assessment

The institution's Assessment and Moderation policy requires that assessment in qualifications be based on the following premises: In agreement with the National Higher Education Policy for Outcomes-based Education and the South African Qualificatoins Authority Level Descriptors as relevant to the graduate attributes for qualifications on the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework, the assessment approach of the institution is one of appropriate, continuous formative and summative assessment activities within an outcomes and qualification-based higher education environment.

The qualification outcomes and assessment criteria for this qualification were formulated according to the requirements of the Level 9 descriptors. The outcomes and assessment criteria will be included in the Faculty of Health Sciences Calendar and in the study guide, making it available to the students.

Guidance and feedback will be provided to the student on a monthly basis by the supervisor as a form of formative assessment. Formative assessment opportunities include (1) a research proposal / title registration document and presentation at a colloquium under scrutiny of a scientific committee, writing of a comprehensive literature overview on a relevant health science education research topic, reporting on the empirical process, writing up of the final research findings, finalising the dissertation, preparing an article; (2) regular meetings with the supervisor for discussions and guidance regarding the research; and (3) a presentation of preliminary research results at a colloquium under scrutiny of a scientific committee.

The supervisor will then give final permission for a dissertation to be submitted for examination. The examination process is the final summative assessment of the work.

Integrated summative assessment in the form of the dissertation will furnish proof of the candidate's ability to interpret, integrate, and critically use the literature to a limited extent, do research in the relevant field of study and report such research results satisfactorily.