The Perceptions of Medical Technology Students that Shadow Education

Abstract

One major function of education is to train the student for them to be qualified to their target profession in the future (Biesta, 2009). High stake testing is one of the ultimate measures of competency in school and measuring academic achievement. Due to the applied standard of education, many students were having a hard time to pass their exams and subjects. Hence, private tutoring was usually applied to the low achiever students to help them cope up with their peers. Private tutoring is one form of shadow education (Mori & Baker, 2010). On a licensure examination preparation, shadow education is also being applied by the use of the in-house review and outside review centers. The PHINMA-SJC institution has its own strategy in preparing students for board exams. It is conducting one form of shadow education where the participants are still in its 4th-year level. Hence, the aim of this research is to analyze the perceptions of Medical Technology students to shadow education applied. It employs qualitative descriptive research design in relating the responses of the students to their experiences, expectations, challenges and coping mechanisms to the shadow education applied. Eleven (11) students agreed to be interviewed via an open-ended survey method enrolled in the 1st semester 2018-2019. The outcomes of this study evidenced that the students had a more negative experience before the shadow education while during and after the shadow education, their experience becomes positive towards the shadow education. Furthermore, the students have a more positive expectation, challenges and coping mechanism outlook to the shadow education. Specifically, the main challenge faced by the students was the assessment exams given. While their expectation becomes their coping mechanism to pass the shadow education. Hence, resiliency from challenging tasks is significant to prepare the students for the licensure exam.