Classes have now officially been in session for a week, and about half of them have met. I've actually had two hours of instructional time with my undergraduate class, and an organizational meeting with the graduate students.
Much of this week was spent hearing research presentations for undergraduate nursing students who are going out "on attachment" (like a practicum) for the semester and are expected to do a discriptive study to present at the end of the semester. The quality of these projects varies widely, with some students being pretty on top of things and others not showing the ability to formulate a need and a question. I worked hard with my undergraduates to get them to participate in class, and all but three did! The style of teaching here is predominantly what I call "lecture and regurgitation", which is not something I'm fond of doing or think is particularly effective.
I have a student to supervise in her descriptive study for the nursing program. Her topic is right up my alley-- factors influencing women's decisions about whether to deliver in a medically assisted facility or at home. The Shona custom is that a woman goes to her in-laws home, even if it is far away, to deliver her first infant and present it to them for approval. There are some interesting traditional beliefs around childbearing, including that nonproductive labor is a sign that the woman has been unfaithful to her husband. Fewer than half the deliveries in Zimbabwe occur in medically assisted facilities. (And no, Geri, they don't have midwifes come to their homes.) This contributes to a very high neonatal mortality rate--24/1000, and maternal mortality rate-- 790/100,000.
I have to stop to work with that student now. More another time!
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