Radiography students' learning of plain X-ray examinations in clinical practice: An ethnographic study

Learning of plain x-ray examinations in clinical practice is the core element of becoming a professional in diagnostic radiography. Learning in clinical practice is situated in an authentic socio-cultural context promoting students' learning from legitimate peripheral participation to full participation. The purpose of this study was to describe and understand radiography students' learning of plain X-ray examinations in clinical practice.

The data consisted of observations, learning diaries and interviews of 17 radiography students and the researcher's own field notes regarding students' clinical practice of plain X-ray examinations. Learning was studied from the perspective of interpretive ethnography. Data were analyzed by the constant comparative method.

In clinical practice, radiography students' learning was governed by a learning culture requiring the ability to interpret and adapt to the prevailing learning styles of the clinical practice contexts. The learning styles were: 1) learning towards expertise through collaboration, 2) learning actively through student's solo work and 3) learning by working in the background and following instructions. In these learning styles, the extent and depth of the learning content, patient care and imaging varied. Learning methods, learning in cooperation, students' solo working and learning under radiographers' changeable guidance differed as well. Students' learning was impacted by the factors radiographer's supervision and student's learning space. According to students' own evaluation, the learning outcomes regarding theory-practice connection were achieved to a variable extent.

Learning culture provided variable opportunities for the socio-cultural context to promote students' learning in clinical practice. The results can be applied when developing and implementing radiography students' clinical practice. Further research could focus on strengthening the curriculum towards cooperative learning.