Students' Opınıon Towards Peer Educatıon Program At Schoolıng Of Vocatıonal Skılls.

Introduction: Besides helping to improve vocational skills in an environment similar to real-life conditions, skill laboratories also make it possible to combine a theory with its application. Student centered learning programs are the ones which not only enable the students take responsibility on other students' learning but also it enables them to take responsibility with his/her very own learning progress. Therefore, peer education program is an active learning method that can successfully be used in higher education.Objective: This descriptive research has been conducted in order to understand students' thoughts regarding the effects of peer education program on teaching / reinforcing vocational skills and to pinpoint the areas of the education program that needs to be improved.Method: Two different 4th grade student groups, each containing 20-24 volunteers and whose GPA are 2.5 out of 4.0 and high and who take "Health Education" course and have no failed courses from previous years of their study and on the brink of graduation have been selected. 5-6 peers under a teacher's superintendence and four students working with each peer was the core model of the student distribution. After the theoretic education, laboratory work, in which the topic-related skills applied, has been done with peers. Result: 53.3% of the students stated that the seating order was designed very well; while 26.6% found the equipments used were satisfactory, 25.8% found them unsatisfactory; 23.6% stated that the printed materials was lack. Students who participated in the study generally expressed positive feelings regarding to group adaptation, group atmosphere and communication. When their feelings about peer education were asked, students' responses were: helps learning (42.4%), increases the learning performance (50.2%), increases learning autonomy (49.3%), strengthens critical point of view (44.1%), improves cognitive skills through interaction (50.7%), improves collaboration skill (54.1%), improves memorability (45.4%).Conclusion: In our study, vast majority of the students have stated that peer education program at the laboratory is a useful and applicable method which eases their learning. Peer education, which can be used in nursery and midwifery schooling, in laboratory environment has positive results like increased learning, knowledge development, improved clinical decision-making ability. Peer education eases learning skills; increases learning and memorability of what is learned thanks to high number of recurrences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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