61 SECTION 2: ARTICle 62 2.1 INTRODUCTION This section outlines the guidelines for compiling an article for publication for authors as provided by the journal for Nurse Education Today. This is followed by the article comprising of the keywords, abstract, introduction, background, research design, setting and sample, ethical considerations, data collection, data analysis, findings, limitations of the study and lastly the conclusions. 2.2 GUIDELINES FOR AUTHORS Nurse Education Today Guide for Authors ? The Editors of Nurse Education Today welcome the submission of papers for publication in the form of research findings, systematic and methodological reviews, literature reviews and Contemporary Issue pieces that contribute to, and advance, the knowledge of, and debate within, international nursing, midwifery and healthcare education. Submission to this journal proceeds totally online. Use the following guidelines to prepare your article via page of this journal http://ees.elsevier.com/net you will be guided stepwise through the creation and uploading of the various files. The system automatically converts source files to a single Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the article, which is used in the peer-review process. Please note that even though manuscript source files are converted to PDF at submission for the review process, these source files are needed for further processing after acceptance. All correspondence, including notification of the Editor's decision and requests for revisions, takes place by e-mail and via the Author's homepage, removing the need for a hard-copy paper trail. The above represents a very brief outline of this form of submission. It can be advantageous to print this "Guide for Authors" section from the site for reference in the subsequent stages of article preparation. If you do not have internet access, please contact the editorial office (jtyldsley@jtyldsley.karoo.co.uk) for alternative submission instructions. GENERAL Submitted papers should be written in a way that is relevant to an international audience and authors should not assume knowledge of national and local practices, organisations and professional bodies. Authors should therefore avoid the use of acronyms when referring to such and should use terminology that is internationally acceptable. Authors should consult a recent issue of the journal for style and structure if possible. Nurse Education Today is a signatory journal to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals, issued by the International Committee for Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), and to the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) code of conduct for editors. We follow COPE's guidelines. 63 Review process All manuscripts are initially assessed by an editorial team who will decide whether to send a paper for peer review and to allow a rapid response to authors for those that are not. The decision to publish a paper is based on assessment via a double-blind peer review process by an international panel of experts and the Editors reserves the right to the final decision regarding acceptance. Papers which do not meet the journal's standards or do not provide a novel contribution to the literature already published in the field, may be rejected at this point in order to avoid delays to authors who may wish to seek publication elsewhere. Occasionally a paper will be returned to the author with requests for revisions prior to additional peer review. Queries For questions about the editorial process (including the status of manuscripts under review) please contact the editorial office jtyldsley@jtyldsley.karoo.co.uk. For technical support on submissions please contact http://epsupport.elsevier.com. PRE-SUBMISSION - GENERAL POINTS Submission declaration Submission of an article implies that the work describes has not been published previously (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture or academic thesis), that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, that its publication is approved by all Authors and tacitly or explicitly by the responsible authorities where the work was carried out, and that, if accepted, it will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or any other language, without the written consent of the Publisher. Ethics For information on Ethics in Publishing and Ethical guidelines for journal publication see http://www.elsevier.com/publishingethics and http://www.elsevier.com/ethicalguidelines. The work describes in your article must have been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) for experiments involving humans http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html; EU Directive 2010/63/EU for animal experiments http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/lab_animals/legislation_en.htm; Uniform Requirements for manuscripts submitted to Biomedical journals http://www.icmje.org. This must be states at an appropriate point in the article. Informed consent Where applicable authors should confirm that informed consent was obtained from human subjects and that ethical clearance was obtained from the appropriate authority. Language Editing Authors who require information about language editing and copyediting services pre- and post- submission please visit http://webshop.elsevier.com/languageediting or our customer support site at http://support.elsevier.com for more information. Contributors and Acknowledgements All authors should have made substantial contributions to all of the following: (1) the conception and design of the study, or acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data, (2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content, (3) final approval of the version to be submitted. All those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance or proofreading the article, etc.) that do not meet criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the paper. Role of the funding source You are requested to identify who provided financial support for the conduct of the research and/or preparation of the article and to briefly describe the role of the sponsor(s), if any, in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. If the funding source(s) had no such involvement then this should be states. Please see http://www.elsevier.com/funding 64 Conflict of interest All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organisations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. See also http://www.elsevier.com/conflictsofinterest. Permissions Permission to reproduce previously published material must be obtained in writing from the copyright holder (usually the publisher) and acknowledged in the manuscript. Presentation of Manuscripts Abbreviations - Avoid the use of abbreviations unless they are likely to be widely recognised. In particular you should avoid abbreviating key concepts in your paper where readers might not already be familiar with the abbreviation. Any abbreviations which the authors intend to use should be written out in full and follows by the letters in brackets the first time they appear, thereafter only the letters without brackets should be used. Statistics - Standard methods of presenting statistical material should be used. Where methods used are not widely recognised explanation and full reference to widely accessible sources must be given. Exact p values should be given to no more than three decimal places. Wherever possible give both point estimates and confidence intervals for all population parameters estimated by the study (e.g. group differences, frequency of characteristics). Identify the statistical package used. Word lengths Contemporary Issues - 2,000-2,500 words. Papers that discuss contemporary issues within nursing, midwifery and health profession education, and stimulate scholarly debate, are welcomed. Authors who have ideas which address issues of substantive concern to the disciplines, particularly those of a controversial nature, should consider submitting a Contemporary Issue piece. The issues must be current and, although they can be of national agenda, they must have international implications or be of relevance to an international audience. Contemporary Issues should consist of editorial-style. No abstract is required, but Keywords and up to 8 references should be included (following the style as outlined in this Guide). Contemporary Issues should be submitted online in the usual way for the journal. Research Papers - 3,500-5,000 words. Papers reporting original research are welcomed between 3,500-5,000 words, including abstract/summary and references. Please check your text carefully before you send it off, both for correct content and typographic errors. You will increase the chances of acceptance if you draw on the experience of previously published colleagues where possible. It is not possible to change the content of accepted papers during production. Research papers should adhere to recognised standards for reporting (see Guidance below - Considerations to specific types of research design). Reviews - 3,500-4,500 words Reviews are welcomed by the journal editors including: • Systematic reviews; • literature reviews, which provide a thorough analysis of the literature on a topic; Big Ideas - 1,500-2,000 words. You are invited to submit a review essay of a book (including works of fiction) or 'big idea' from the arts, sciences or humanities that has guided or influenced you as a practitioner, educator and/or academic. The review should normally focus on a book or idea from outside the immediate scope of nursing, midwifery and healthcare, and might include an overview, a critical appraisal and some thoughts about how it could be applied to practice and/or education. Critical commentaries of previously published contributions to the 'Big Ideas' series are also welcome. Abstracts and key words are not required, and papers of approximately 1500-2000 words should be submitted in the usual way, indicating that they are intended for the 'Big Ideas' section. Do not use 'he', 'his' etc. where the sex of the person is unknown, say 'the nurse' etc. Avoid inelegant alternatives such as 'he/she'. Nurses and doctors should not be automatically designated as 'he/she'. In 65 terms of style, try to avoid artificially objective language such as 'the author thought that' or 'the researcher' where this person is yourself. 'I' or 'we' are acceptable when related to matters concerning the author(s) themselves or their opinions. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION A Covering letter to the editor in which you detail authorship contributions and other matters you wish the editors to consider. Manuscript layout Title page • The title page should be provided as a separate file. • Your title page should give the title in capital letters, below which should be the authors' names (as they appear) in lower-case letters. • For each author you should give one first name as well as the family name and any initials • Authors' addresses should be limited to the minimum information needed to ensure accurate postal delivery; these details should be on the title page below the authors' names and appointments • Authors should also provide a daytime contact telephone number, fax number and e-mail address. • The title should explicitly describe the topic and type of paper and should be in the format "Topic/question: Design/type of paper" (e.g. Student nurse perceptions of risk in relation to international placements: A phenomenological research study). Keywords Include 4-8 keywords. The purpose of these is to increase the likely accessibility of your paper to potential readers searching the literature. Therefore, ensure keywords are descriptive of the study. Refer to a recognised thesaurus of keywords wherever possible, for example refer to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) thesaurus or Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) headings (see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/meshhome.html). Abstract/Summary An abstract of your paper, a maximum of 300 words summarising the content, should follow the title page. The abstract should not include references or abbreviations. Abstracts of Research Papers must be structured. As guidance they should include Background; Objectives; Design; Settings; Participants; Methods; Results; and Conclusions. Abstracts for Reviews should provide a summary under the following headings, where possible: Objectives, Design, Data sources, Review methods, Results, Conclusions. Abstracts are not required for Editorials and Contemporary Issues. Headings The content of your paper should determine the headings you use. If yours is a quantitative research paper the headings should follow the usual layout, such as: Introduction, Background/Literature, Methods, Data/Results, Discussion, and Conclusions. If your paper takes another form, theoretical or qualitative for example, you should use the appropriate headings, but do bear in mind those headings should facilitate reading and understanding. You should use only two kinds of headings, major headings should be indicated by underlined capital letters in the centre of the page whereas minor headings should be underlined, have lower-case letters (beginning with a capital) and begin at the left hand margin. Figure captions, tables, figures, schemes Present these, in this order, at the end of the article. They are describes in more detail below. High- resolution graphics files must always be provided separate from the main text file (see Preparation of illustrations). Tables Each table needs a short descriptive title above it, and a clear legend or key and, if necessary, suitably identified footnotes below. When drawing up the tables take care to include all the units of measurement. Make sure that each table is cited in the text. Number tables consecutively in accordance with their appearance in the text. Avoid vertical rules. Be sparing in the use of tables and ensure that the data presented in tables do not duplicate results describes elsewhere in the article. 66 Illustrations A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website: http://www.elsevier.com/authors and below. Preparation of supplementary data NET encourages electronic supplementary material to support and enhance your paper. Supplementary files offer the Author additional possibilities to publish supporting applications, movies, animation sequences, high-resolution images, background datasets, sound clips and more. Supplementary files supplied will be published online alongside the electronic version of your article in Elsevier Web products, including ScienceDirect: http://www.sciencedirect.com. In order to ensure that your submitted material is directly usable, please ensure that data is provided in one of our recommended file formats. Authors should submit the material in electronic format together with the article and supply a concise and descriptive caption for each file. For more detailed instructions please visit our artwork instruction pages at the Author Gateway at http://www.elsevier.com/authors. References The accuracy of the references you provide is your responsibility. • In the text references should state the author's surname and the year of publication (Garrett, 2006). If there are two authors you should give both surnames (Warne and McAndrew, 2008). When a source has more than two authors, give the name of the first author follows by 'et al.’ • Where a quotation is used within your paper the author, date and page number should be given, e.g. 'has a beginning and an end; that it is best separated from the rest of our activities and that it is as a result of teaching.' (Wenger, 1998, p.3) • A list of all references in your manuscript should be typed in alphabetical order. Each reference to a paper needs to include the authors' surnames and initials, year of publication, full title of the paper, full name of the journal, volume number, issue number and first and last page numbers. Do not add unnecessary punctuation. For example: Henderson, A., Creedy, D., Boorman, R., Cooke, M., Walker, R., 2010. Development and psychometric testing of the Clinical Learning Organisational Culture Survey (CLOCS). Nurse Education Today 30 (7), 598-602. References to Books should be given in a slightly different form, as in these examples: Billings, D., Halstead, J., 2005. Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty, 2nd ed. Elsevier Saunders, St Louis, MO. Heron, J., Reason, P., 2006. The practice of co-operative inquiry: research "with" rather than "on" people. In: Reason, P., Bradbury, H. (Eds), Handbook of Action Research. Sage Publications, London, pp. 145- 154. Use of the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) The digital object identifier (DOI) may be used to cite and link to electronic documents. The DOI consists of a unique alpha-numeric character string which is assigned to a document by the publisher upon the initial electronic publication. The assigned DOI never changes. Therefore, it is an ideal medium for citing a document, particularly 'Articles in Press' because they have not yet received their full bibliographic information. The correct format for citing a DOI is shown as follows (example taken from a document in the journal Physics Letters B):doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2003.10.071 When you use the DOI to create URL hyperlinks to documents on the web, they are guaranteed never to change. Citing and listing of Web references As a minimum, the full URL should be given. Any further information, if known (Author names, dates, reference to a source publication, etc.), should also be given. Web references can be listed separately (e.g., after the reference list) under a different heading if desired, or can be included in the reference list. Preparation of Electronic Illustrations Submitting your artwork in an electronic format helps us to produce your work to the best possible standards, ensuring accuracy, clarity and a high level of detail. 67 General points • Always supply high-quality printouts of your artwork, in case conversion of the electronic artwork is problematic. • Make sure you use uniform lettering and sizing of your original artwork. • Save text in illustrations as "graphics" or enclose the font. • Only use the following fonts in your illustrations: Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Times, Symbol. • Number the illustrations according to their sequence in the text. • Use a logical naming convention for your artwork files, and supply a separate listing of the files and the software used. • Provide all illustrations as separate files and as hardcopy printouts on separate sheets. • Provide captions to illustrations separately. • Produce images near to the desired size of the printed version Files can be stored on diskette, ZIP-disk or CD (either MS-DOS or Macintosh). This journal offers electronic submission services and graphic files can be uploaded via http://ees.elsevier.com/net/. A detailed guide on electronic artwork is available on our website: http://www.elsevier.com/authors You are urged to visit this site; some excerpts from the detailed information are given here. Formats Regardless of the application used, when your electronic artwork is finalised, please "save as" or convert the images to one of the following formats (Note the resolution requirements for line drawings, halftones, and line/halftone combinations given below.): EPS: Vector drawings. Embed the font or save the text as "graphics". TIFF: Colour or greyscale photographs (halftones): always use a minimum of 300 dpi. TIFF: Bitmapped line drawings: use a minimum of 1000 dpi. TIFF: Combinations bitmapped line/half-tone (colour or greyscale): a minimum of 500 dpi is required. DOC, XLS or PPT: If you’re electronic artwork is created in any of these Microsoft Office applications please supply "as is". Please do not: • Supply embedded graphics in your word processor (spread sheet, presentation) document; • Supply files that are optimised for screen use (like GIF, BMP, PICT, WPG); the resolution is too low; • Supply files that are too low in resolution; • Submit graphics that are disproportionately large for the content. Captions Ensure that each illustration has a caption. Supply captions separately, not attached to the figure. A caption should comprise a brief title (not on the figure itself) and a description of the illustration. Keep text in the illustrations themselves to a minimum but explain all symbols and abbreviations used. Line Drawings The lettering and symbols, as well as other details, should have proportionate dimensions, so as not to become illegible or unclear after possible reduction; in general, the figures should be designed for a reduction factor of two to three. The degree of reduction will be determined by the Publisher. Illustrations will not be enlarged. Consider the page format of the journal when designing the illustrations. Do not use any type of shading on computer-generated illustrations. Photographs (halftones) Remove non-essential areas of a photograph. Do not mount photographs unless they form part of a composite figure. Where necessary, insert a scale bar in the illustration (not below it), as opposed to giving a magnification factor in the legend. Colour Illustrations Please make sure that artwork files are in an acceptable format (TIFF, EPS or MS Office files) and with the correct resolution. If, together with your accepted article, you submit usable colour figures then Elsevier will ensure, at no additional charge that these figures will appear in colour on the Web (e.g., Science Direct and other sites) regardless of whether or not these illustrations are reproduced in colour in the printed version. For colour reproduction in print, you will receive information regarding the costs from Elsevier after receipt of your accepted article. Please indicate your preference for colour in print or on the Web only. For further information on the preparation of electronic artwork, please see http://www.elsevier.com/authors. 68 Please note: Because of technical complications which can arise by converting colour figures to "grey scale" (for the printed version should you not opt for colour in print) please submit in addition usable black and white versions of all the colour illustrations. FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS Considerations specific to types of research designs The journal editors recommend that authors adhere to recognized reporting guidelines relevant to the research design used in their manuscripts. These are not quality assessment frameworks and your study need not meet all the criteria implied in the reporting guideline to be worthy of publication in the journal. Reporting guidelines endorsed by the journal are listed below: Observational cohort, case control and cross sectional studies - STROBE - Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Quasi-experimental/non-randomised evaluations - TREND - Transparent Reporting of Evaluations with Non-randomized Designs http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Randomised (and quasi-randomised) controlled trial - CONSORT - Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Study of Diagnostic accuracy/assessment scale - STARD - Standards for the Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Systematic Review of Controlled Trials - PRISMA - Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Systematic Review of Observational Studies - MOOSE - Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology http://www.equator-network.org/index.aspx?o=1032 Qualitative researchers might wish to consult the guideline listed below: Qualitative studies - COREQ - Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. Tong, A., Sainsbury, P., Craig, J., 2007. Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 19 (6), 349-357. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/intghc/mzm042 CHECKLIST Before submitting your paper, please check that: • All files are uploaded. • The reference list is complete and in correct style • Written permission from original publishers and authors to reproduce any borrowed material has been obtained. POST ACCEPTANCE Changes to authorship This policy concerns the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of author names in the authorship of accepted manuscripts: Before the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: Requests to add or remove an author, or to rearrange the author names, must be sent to the Journal Manager from the corresponding author of the accepted manuscript and must include: (a) the reason the name should be added or removed, or the author names rearranged and (b) written confirmation (e-mail, fax, letter) from all authors that they agree with the addition, removal or rearrangement. In the case of addition or removal of authors, this includes confirmation from the author being added or removed. Requests that are not sent by the corresponding author will be forwarded by the Journal Manager to the corresponding author, who must follow the procedure as describes above. Note that: (1) Journal Managers will inform the Journal Editors of any such requests and (2) publication of the accepted manuscript in an online issue is suspended until authorship has been agreed. After the accepted manuscript is published in an online issue: Any requests to add, delete, or rearrange author names in an article published in an online issue will follow the same policies as noted above and result in a corrigendum. Funding Body Agreements and Policies Elsevier has established agreements and developed policies to allow authors who publish in Elsevier journals to comply with potential manuscript archiving requirements as specified as conditions of their grant awards. To learn more about existing agreements and policies please visit http://www.elsevier.com/fundingbodies. 69 Open access This journal offers you the option of making your article freely available to all via the Science Direct platform. To prevent any conflict of interest, you can only make this choice after receiving notification that your article has been accepted for publication. The fee of $3,000 excludes taxes and other potential author fees such as color charges. In some cases, institutions and funding bodies have entered into agreement with Elsevier to meet these fees on behalf of their authors. Details of these agreements are available at http://www.elsevier.com/fundingbodies. Authors of accepted articles, who wish to take advantage of this option, should complete and submit the order form (available at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/openaccessform.pdf). Whatever access option you choose, you retain many rights as an author, including the right to post a revised personal version of your article on your own website. More information can be found here: http://www.elsevier.com/authorsrights. 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You can also check our Author FAQs (http://www.elsevier.com/authorFAQ) and/or contact Customer Support via http://support.elsevier.com. 70 EXPLORING THE BASIC ELEMENTS REQUIRED FOR AN EFFECTIVE EDUCATOR- STUDENT RELATIONSHIP IN NURSING EDUCATION S c h o o l o f N u r s i n g S c i e n c e , N o r t h - W e s t U n i v e r s i t y P o t c h e f s t r o o m C a m p u s P r i v a t e b a g X 6 0 0 1 P o t c h e f s t r o o m 2 5 2 0 T e l : ( 0 1 8 ) 2 9 9 - 1 8 7 6 F a x : ( 0 1 8 ) 2 9 9 - 1 7 1 5 E - M a i l a d d r e s s : k a t h l e e n @ u k w a z i . c o . z a Kathleen Froneman MCUR student Dr. E. Du Plessis Programme manager post-graduate programmes Prof. M.P.Koen Director School of Nursing 71 KEYWORDS Educator-student relationship, nursing education, nursing education institute (NEI), nursing student, learning environment, resilience. ABSTRACT Background: In the South African context little research has been conducted in private nursing education institutions with regard to the educator-student relationship. An effective educator-student relationship is a key factor to ensure a positive learning climate where learning can take place. A positive and supportive classroom environment improves students’ social and emotional well-being and ensures their motivation to continue trying, it builds confidence in students’ abilities and also strengthens their ability to effectively deal with daily stress. A positive and supportive relationship between educators and students will contribute to strengthening students’ resilience. This research was conducted as a sub-study in the RISE project. The RISE project is concerned with strengthening the resilience of health caregivers and high risk groups in order to prevent threats to their well-being that may eventually lead to lower quality health care. Therefore, strengthening nursing students’ resilience from the beginning of their nursing career through a positive and supportive educator-student relationship can improve their well-being, as well as improve the quality of education and eventually the patient care delivered. Objectives: The overall aim of this study was to explore and describe the basic elements required for an effective educator-student relationship in a private nursing education institution (henceforth NEI) in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. This enabled the researcher to recommend guidelines that need to be followed in order to improve the educator-student relationship. To reach this aim the following objectives have been identified: 72 To explore and describe what nursing students perceive as basic elements required for an effective educator-student relationship To explore and describe how the resilience of nursing students can be strengthened within the educator-student relationship To recommend guidelines to improve the educator-student relationship Design: This study followed an explorative, descriptive and contextual qualitative design. Settings: A classroom setting of a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. Participants: The population used in this study comprised of sixty enrolled nursing auxiliary students of a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. The sample was selected by the researcher from the population to participate in the research study and it included only forty enrolled nursing auxiliary students of a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. Methods: The “World Café” Method was used to collect data and data was analysed using Creswell’s six steps in data analysis. Results: Five main categories were identified and included (1) teaching/learning environment, (2) educator-student interaction, (3) educator qualities, (4) staying resilient and (5) strategies to strengthen resilience. Conclusions: Conclusions were drawn by looking at the interrelation between the literature review, the theoretical framework chosen for this study, namely Kumpfers’ resilience framework and the findings of the research. It is eminent that students need a caring and supportive environment including enough space, sufficient lighting and ventilation. Students reported that they need interaction that is constructive, interaction that acknowledges human rights and interaction that makes use of appropriate non- verbal communication. The educator must display qualities of love and care, respect, responsibility, morality, patience, openness to new ideas, motivation, willingness to “go 73 the extra mile” and punctuality. Students reported various ways of how they manage to stay resilient namely: being positive, having a support system, improving study methods, self-motivation, setting personal goals, taking pride, perseverance and determination. Recommendations were formulated for nursing education, nursing practice and further research. INTRODUCTION The relationship between educators and students has been a focus of inquiry for over 2000 years (Wang et al., s.a). The philosophers, Plato, Socrates and Confucius emphasize the acquisition of knowledge through dialogue and stress the commitment to the educator-student relationship (Wang et al., s.a). The educator-student relationship was redefined with the advent of cognitive psychology when constructivists said that educators and students construct knowledge in collaboration (Wang et al., s.a). The psychological dimensions of educators’ relationships with students indicates that caring educators who show concern for their students and act as confidants, role models and mentors contribute to students’ resilience skills to overcome personal vulnerabilities and environmental adversities (Wang et al., 1994). Therefore, educators have a positive effect not only on students’ academic achievement and behaviour, but also on their long term success in life by helping them develop resilience skills and attitudes (Hanson and Austin, 2003). Resilience skills include the ability to form relationships, to solve problems, to develop a sense of identity and to plan and hope (Bernard, 1997). Hanson et al. (2004) found that protective factors such as caring relationships, high expectations and opportunities to participate and contribute improve, not only students’ academic performances, but also strengthened their resilience. Therefore nurse educators have a responsibility towards 74 nursing students to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their nursing career and to foster caring relationships with students (Hanson et al., 2004). This includes practices to strengthen their resilience by being a role model for them so they can make use of caring nursing practices towards their patients (Bernard, 1997). In order for the students to become excellent, caring and responsible nurses they need to understand the importance of effective interpersonal relationships, something that will impact the rest of their nursing career (Del Prato et al., 2011). This can only be achieved if nurse educators set the correct example right from the start of their nursing program. The relationship should already start to develop in the classroom, from the first contact between the educator and student. BACKGROUND In the South African context little research has been conducted in private nursing education institutions with regard to the educator-student relationship (Freemen et al., 2007). An effective educator-student relationship is a key factor to ensure a positive learning climate where learning can take place (Freeman et al., 2007). A positive and supportive classroom environment improves students’ social and emotional well-being and ensures their motivation to continue trying, it builds confidence in students’ abilities and also strengthens their ability to effectively deal with daily stress (Sosa, 2011). Johnson (2008) emphasizes the importance of a positive and supportive relationship between educators and students which will contribute to strengthening students’ resilience. Therefore it is important to identify the basic elements that form part of an effective educator-student relationship in nursing education. Research studies available on this topic either explores the educator-student relationship between the clinical facilitator and nursing students in the clinical 75 environment (Wade and Kasper, 2006) or explores the schooling years of children (Beutel, 2009; Hughes, 2012) and undergraduate or graduate students at universities (Anderson and Carta-Falsa, 2002; Barta, 2010, Chang and Davis, 2009; Petrus et al., 2012; Redmond and Sorrell, 1996; Rennie and Glass, 2001). Del Prato et al. (2011) in turn explore the clinical environment of nursing students together with the faculty- student relationship. It is evident that little research is available on the relationship between the educator and student within a private nursing education institution with regard to the theoretical component in teaching/learning. The bottom line is that the classroom is where nursing education begins and therefore the focus should remain on an effective educator-student relationship in the classroom environment (Mkhwanazi, 2007). It is important for educators to ensure a positive teaching/learning environment for students in order to improve the educator-student relationship. Anderson and Carta-Falsa (2002) identify three themes relevant to the educator-student relationship namely, (1) the teaching/learning environment, (2) exchange of information and (3) mentor/peer association. In the teaching/learning environment students and instructors report a desire for an open, supportive, comfortable, respectful, safe or non- threatening and enjoyable interpersonal climate (Anderson and Carta-Falsa, 2002). With the exchange of information, theme two, students report a desire to work together, to share, and to learn and interact with each other (Anderson and Carta-Falsa, 2002). The last theme, mentor/peer association, highlights that students want to develop networks, friendships and they want to work with each other. On the other hand, the instructors involved in the study were more focused on principles of effective teaching and did not express a strong need to collaborate with students (Anderson and Carta- Falsa, 2002). 76 Beutel (2009) explores educators’ understanding of their relationships with students and identified 5 categories namely: (1) providing information, (2) instructing, (3) facilitating, (4) guided participation and (5) mentoring. Category 1: providing information is based on delivering knowledge to students that they can, in turn, reproduce in examinations (Beutel, 2009). The second category, instructing, refers to educators instructing students in the acquisition and application of skills (Beutel, 2009). Facilitating, category 3, denotes to educators perceiving their interaction with students as something that facilitates students’ learning (Beutel, 2009). In category 4, guided participation, educators talk about students taking responsibility for their own learning (Beutel, 2009). The last category, mentoring, focuses on the quality and duration of the partnership between educator and student (Beutel, 2009). Strong similarities exist between the works of these different authors mentioned above. All of them discuss the importance of how information is exchanged between the educator and student, or how information is provided by the educator (Anderson and Carta-Falsa, 2002; Beutel, 2009; Bernard, 1995; Hurlington, 2010; Del Prato et al., 2011). Furthermore, two of these authors also mention that the educator needs to be a mentor for the students to improve the relationship between them (Anderson and Carta- Falsa, 2002; Beutel, 2009). The only difference that exists between the authors is that Anderson and Carta-Falsa (2002) explored the teaching/learning environment in the classroom setting and Del Prato et al. (2011) explore the clinical practice as the learning/teaching environment. Literature on the educator-student relationship also stresses resilience as an important factor that promotes positive and supportive relationships between educators and students (Johnson, 2008). From a perspective of resilience in the educator-student 77 relationship, research demonstrates that protective social environments, which provide refuge in high-risk situations, are important in the development of resilience (Hurlington, 2010). The protective factors that are crucial in the construction of environments that foster the development of resilience are caring relationships, positive and high expectations, and opportunities to contribute and participate (Bernard, 1995; Hanson et al., 2004; Hurlington, 2010; Vitto, 2003). Research on resilience emphasises the crucial role of educators in building an environment that protects students against adversity, and fosters the psychological well- being and healthy development they need in order to learn (Bunn, 2000). Educators who form caring relationships with students and who creates positive learning environments have a strong influence on students and their outcomes (Downey, 2008; Northup, 2011; Sosa, 2011). Koen and Du Plessis (2011) developed a research programme, RISE, which focuses on strengthening the resilience of health caregivers and high risk groups. According to Koen and Du Plessis (2011), the resilience of health caregivers need to be strengthened in order to prevent threats to their well-being that may eventually lead to lower quality health care. Therefore, strengthening nursing students’ resilience from the beginning of their nursing career through a positive and supportive educator-student relationship can improve their well-being, as well as improve the quality of education and eventually the patient care delivered. In addition, Petrus et al. (2012) identify three dimensions in the educator-student relationship namely: (1) the caring environment, (2) the psychological state and beliefs and (3) psycho-social interactions. It was found that the caring environment, dimension one, forms the foundation for the other two dimensions to develop. In several other studies the authors also recognise that caring is an important element in the educator- 78 student relationship (Del Prato et al., 2011; Petrus et al., 2012; Redmond and Sorrell, 1996; Schofield, 2001; Wade and Kasper, 2006). All these authors emphasise that caring is the most important element that needs to be present for an effective educator- student relationship to exist. From a perspective of resilience, effective educators create a sense of caring that is reciprocated between educator and student and also between student and student (Caballero, 2011). McLaughlin and Talbert (1993), mention that educators need to create an environment that support students’ resilience by expressing high expectations and trust, promoting caring relationships among colleagues and providing on-going opportunities for small groups to reflect and make decisions together. Moreover Black (1999) states that educators need to listen to students; assess individuals’ strengths, create ways for students to express themselves and demonstrate their understanding, cultivate caring students and ensure that students engage and take more risks in classroom activities. Whereas Worley (2007) identified four factors that contribute to a positive educator-student relationship: Trust must be established between the educator and student Students must know that educators care and are concerned about each student Educators must create a learning environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and Educators need to create a classroom environment that supports and enables each student to feel they belong in the classroom Additionally, Halarie and Cross (2012) as well as Schofield (2001) found that certain educator qualities are needed for an effective relationship. Qualities, similar to those mentioned above, that these two authors mention include warmth, genuineness and 79 empathetic understanding. Halarie and Cross (2012) identify extra qualities needed, namely trust and acceptance, while Schofield (2001) states that openness, taking time, touching and listening are also important. Wade and Kasper (2006) note that educators should promote trust, sharing and respect for an effective relationship with students. The statements by various authors above make it clear that the educator must possess certain qualities in order to ensure that an effective educator-student relationship exists. Furthermore, in order to strengthen resilience, educators need to listen to their students, engage them as fellow human beings, recognise and understand their perspectives and world views, and attend to their relational needs (Johnson, 2008). Another important factor identified by several authors is the type of interaction between the educator and the student as this determines the quality of their relationship (Barta, 2010; Chang and Davis, 2009; Hughes, 2012; Rennie and Glass, 2001). There are strong similarities between these authors’ reports with regard to the quality of the relationship that depends on the type of interaction between educator and student. They ask critical questions such as: Is the interaction seen as the educator simply giving information and the student only receiving it, or does the interaction engage both educator and student? Beutel (2009) found that the interaction only exists from the educator to the student and therefore the type of interaction is one-way communication. It becomes quite clear that Beutel (2009) is the only author whose findings differ from those of Barta (2010); Chang and Davis (2009); Hughes (2012); Rennie and Glass (2001) as all these authors state that a relationship is based on two-way communication between educator and student. Ultimately the type of interaction determines the quality of the relationship (Barta, 2010; Chang and Davis, 2009; Hughes, 2012; Rennie and Glass, 2001). 80 Through reviewing the literature it is evident that an effective relationship between an educator and students comprises several elements. The relationship depends on the type of teaching/learning environment where learning has to take place, as well as the type of interaction between the educator and student. In order to ensure that these elements are provided for, the educators should also possess certain qualities. This study was conducted in the classroom setting of enrolled nursing auxiliary students of a private nursing education institution in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. Research needed to be conducted within this setting because such information would be valuable to strengthen these nursing students’ resilience and improve the educator-student relationship within the private nursing education institution. RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The overall aim of this study was to explore and describe the basic elements required for an effective educator-student relationship in a private nursing education institution in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. This enabled the researcher to recommend guidelines that need to be followed in order to improve the educator-student relationship. To reach this aim the following objectives have been identified: To explore and describe what nursing students perceive as basic elements required for an effective educator-student relationship To explore and describe how the resilience of nursing students can be strengthened within the educator-student relationship To recommend guidelines to improve the educator-student relationship This research was conducted as a sub-study in the RISE project. The RISE project is concerned with strengthening the resilience of health caregivers and risk groups (Koen and Du Plessis, 2011). In this study, the aim is to improve the resilience of nursing 81 students at a private nursing education institution through establishing effective educator-student relationships. RESEARCH DESIGN Research design denotes the clearly defined structures within which the study is implemented (Burns and Grove, 2001). This study follows an explorative, descriptive and contextual qualitative design. SETTING AND SAMPLE According to Rossouw (2003) population is the term for the collection of all possible participants that the researcher plans to study. Botma et al. (2010) describe the population of a study as all the elements (individuals, objects or substances) that meet the criteria for inclusion in a given universe which the researcher is interested. Moreover, Creswell (2009) states that the qualitative researcher tends to collect relevant data in the field at the site where participants experience the problem under investigation. The population used in this study comprised of sixty enrolled nursing auxiliary students of a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. Sampling is the selection of a group of people, events, behaviours’ or other elements needed to conduct a study (Burns and Grove, 2009). Klopper (2008) defines sample as a subset of the population that is selected for a particular study. The sample is selected by the researcher from the population to participate in the research study and in this case it included only forty enrolled nursing auxiliary students of the private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. The reason for selecting this sample is because the problem under investigation was experienced by these nursing students in this specific context. 82 The researcher recruited the population and sample size by following two guiding principles as explicated by Botma et al. (2010). Firstly, the identification and use of participants who can best inform the research ensured the appropriateness for selecting the population used in this study. The participants were all enrolled nursing auxiliary students within a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. Secondly, adequacy refers to the fact that sufficient data are available to develop a full and rich description of the phenomenon under investigation. The study made use of a non-probability sample and specifically a purposive sampling method. Botma et al. (2010) state that purposive sampling is used in qualitative research because the particular participants are selected because they display some features or processes that are of interest for a particular study. The sample consisted of forty enrolled nursing auxiliary students in a private NEI in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. A purposive voluntary sampling method with the following inclusion criteria was used: 1) Participants had to be enrolled as nursing auxiliary students with the specific private NEI where the study was conducted 2) Participants had to be enrolled in the auxiliary nursing programme for at least three months to ensure that meaningful information could be obtained ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS The researcher obtained ethical clearance from the North-West University’s Ethical Committee (Ethical number: NWU-00036-11-S1) as part of the RISE study before conducting the study in order to ensure that all ethical considerations were adhered to (Annexure 1). Ethical considerations are a universal requirement and include the basic ethical principles of respect for the person, beneficence and justice (Brink, 2006). 83 According to the NWU manual for post-graduate studies the basic ethical principles include autonomy, benefit, non-harmfulness and justice (NWU, 2011). The principle of respect for the person manifested in obtaining approval from the ethics committee and permission from the institution where the research was conducted (Annexure 2). An information session was held with prospective participants by means of a power point presentation to inform them about the study as well as to explain the concept of resilience before commencement of data collection (Annexure 4). The researcher obtained voluntary informed written consent from the prospective participants and no participant was manipulated or forced to participate in the study and could withdraw or abstain at any time without discrimination or prejudice (Annexure 3). The participants’ right to anonymity was ensured through not revealing any personal details of participants on any of the posters. Confidentiality was maintained and the privacy of participants was respected throughout the study. The principle of beneficence was adhered to by protecting the participants and preventing any harm or discomfort to the participants by securing their well-being. This implies that the researcher aimed to do good and no harm. The principle of justice entails that the participants have the right to fair selection and treatment and also the right to privacy. The human rights of participants were protected by informing them about the type of information needed, by ensuring that they understood what was required of them and that they still had a free choice to decide whether or not to participate in the study. DATA COLLECTION According to Creswell (2009) a qualitative researcher can use multiple forms of data collection and does not only rely on a single data collection method. In this study the 84 researcher applied the “World Café” as data collection method (Annexure 6-7). The “World Café” is seen as a brainstorming tool that generates ideas and comments about a specific topic (Brown et al., 2005). According to Brown et al. (2005) the “World Café” method is a living network of conversations used for leading collaborative dialogue, sharing knowledge and creating possibilities for action in groups of all sizes around questions that matter. Permission to use the “World Café” name, logo, method and materials, including information regarding copyright, was adhered to (Annexure 5). Apart from the “World Café” method the researcher also used facilitation strategies such as discussion sessions, tape recordings, transcribing recordings, field notes and visual materials. The “World Café” was not originally developed as a research data collection method but was selected for this study because it yielded rich data related to the educator-student relationship. This method was successfully used by Du Plessis et al. (2013). Therefore this method was appropriate for use in this study because a large quantity of meaningful data could be collected over a short period of time and it generated ideas and comments of forty enrolled nursing auxiliary students on specific topics. The time spent during the actual data collection process was four hours: starting with obtaining informed consent, collecting data through “World Café” and concluding with the discussion and feedback session. In applying this study, the classroom environment was arranged according to a setup similar to that of a café in order to create a relaxed atmosphere (Annexure 8). The tables were arranged to accommodate five groups of eight students with a poster, coloured markers and refreshments at each table (see photo 1). Participants were asked to sit in groups of eight at each table and had a series of conversational rounds; lasting from 10 to 15 minutes each, with one discussion question for every group (see photo 2). 85 Photo 1: “World Café” setup Photo 2: “World Café” data collection Based on the research objectives and guided by the literature review, the following discussion questions were developed and used in the “World Café” discussions: 1) What is needed in the teaching/learning environment to improve the relationship with your educator? 2) What type of interaction will improve your relationship with your educator? 3) What qualities must your educator display to improve the relationship between the educator and student? 4) How do you manage to stay resilient? 5) What suggestions can be implemented in the educator-student relationship to strengthen your resilience as students? At the end of each round, one person remained behind as the table host, while the other seven moved to the next table. Table hosts welcomed the next group of participants to their tables and shared the information of that table's discussion so far. The newly arrived group would then relate to any of the ideas presented and added new ones. This process continued until each group had been at all five tables where the various 86 discussion questions were presented. Data collection was followed by a discussion session of 30-60 minutes where students reflected on the whole process and explained, clarified and verified their findings and ideas by writing them on the posters (Annexure 10). The discussion sessions were audio recorded and then transcribed (Annexure 12). Field notes were taken throughout the process and are presented as evidence in Annexure 11. The researcher reserved the possibility of making use of focus groups as a second phase of data collection if data saturation had not been reached in order to verify the data collected. Data were collected over a period of one day. DATA ANALYSIS According to Creswell (2009) the data analysis process involves making sense of text and image data. This involves preparing data for analysis, ascertaining a deeper understanding of the data, representing the data and making interpretations about the overall meaning of the data. Inductive data analysis is used for qualitative research and this includes building patterns, themes and categories from the bottom-up and organizing data into more abstract units (Creswell, 2009). Data were analysed by using Creswell’s (2009) steps in data analysis (Table 1 below). Data analysis was done by reading through each poster individually and ascertaining a deeper understanding of the information written down under each discussion question. The researcher made use of a co-analyst and they both analysed the data according to the data analysis work protocol (Annexure 9). The researcher and co-analyst started to build patterns, themes and categories. After the researcher and co-analyst analysed the data independently, a meeting was scheduled to reach consensus on the categories, themes and subthemes that emerged from the data collected. 87 Table 1: Steps in data analysis STEPS ANALYST ACTIONS Step 1: Organise and prepare the data for analysis Data were sorted according to the questions asked on each poster Step 2: Read through all data The analyst gets an overall idea or feeling for the data Listens to audio recorded data Identifies similarities or patterns that start to develop Step 3: Begin with coding process Transcribe the data from audio recorder The analyst starts to code the data into themes and categories Step 4: Description of setting, participants, categories and themes for analysis Step 5: Represent the descriptions and themes Step 6: Make an interpretation or meaning of the data Researcher bias in data analysis was limited by using the following measures: The researcher made use of a co-analyst for cross checking data The researcher used multiple realities because the study focused on all the elements in an educator-student relationship and not merely one or two. Therefore the focus was complex and broad. Data were analyzed according to a detailed data analysis work protocol. Data from literature review were only incorporated into results after data analysis were completed. 88 FINDINGS The discussion of the overall findings of this study commences by introducing the five main categories that emerged from the data as presented below in figure 3. These categories are similar to the categories identified in the literature review (section 1). Figure 3: Main Categories These main categories are introduced in more detail in Table 2 (below). The main categories as illustrated above in figure 3 can be divided into themes and subthemes and are consequently discussed by introducing each of these themes, providing relevant quotes from the “World Café” discussion as evidence and referring to relevant literature. Table 2: THEMES: “WORLD CAFÉ” POSTERS AND DISCUSSIONS CATEGORY 1: Components needed in the teaching/learning environment to improve the relationship with your educator. Theme 1: Physical Environment Theme 2: Emotional Environment Subthemes (4): ? Cleanliness ? Availability of resources (computer lab) ? Provision of breaks/time to refresh ? Comfortable class settings (fresh air, availability of facilities) Subthemes (6): ? Effective problem solving ? Effective interaction ? Cooperation/teamwork ? Mutual respect ? Honesty/integrity/openness/transparency ? Freedom of expression/no discrimination CATEGORY 2: Type of interaction that will improve your relationship with your educator. Theme 1: Interaction that is constructive Theme 2: Interaction that acknowledges human rights Theme 3: Interaction that makes use of appropriate non-verbal communication ? Approachable ? Respectful ? Friendly ? Patient ? Professional ? Civil ? According to different students’ levels of understanding (adaptable) ? Helpful ? Non-threatening ? Equality ? Freedom of expression ? One-one-one communication ? Introspection ? Appropriate privacy and confidentiality ? Group work ? Participation ? Language that everyone can understand ? Body language ? Tone of voice CATEGORY 3: Qualities displayed by educator and student to improve the relationship between the educator and student. Theme 1: Qualities of educator Theme 2: Qualities of students ? Love and care ? Respect ? Responsibility ? Morality ? Patience ? Openness to new ideas ? Motivation ? Willingness to go ‘the extra mile’ ? Punctuality ? Versatility ? Being prepared for classes ? Paying attention in class ? Showing gratitude to educators ? Taking initiative CATEGORY 4: Staying resilient. Theme 1: ? Being positive Theme 2: ? Having a support system Theme 3: ? Change study methods Theme 4: ? Self-motivation Theme 5: ? Setting personal goals Theme 6: ? Take pride Theme 7: ? Perseverance and determination CATEGORY 5: Suggestions to be implemented in the educator-student relationship in order to strengthen resilience in students. Theme 1: Suggestions regarding educators Theme 2: Suggestions regarding studying Subthemes (5): ? Teaching extra lessons when needed ? One-on-one session with students when needed ? Giving students an opportunity to participate & interact in classes ? Giving appropriate rewards for doing well/or for improving ? Mutual respect between students and educators Subthemes (4): ? Use mind mapping to study ? Create a song using the material of the module to help you remember ? Make use of group study ? Do research and make use of different sources 91 Category 1: Components needed in the teaching/learning environment to improve the relationship with your educator Data analysis confirms that the environment is an important element for both the educator and the student within the educator-student relationship, whether it is physical or emotional. The teaching/learning environment could be divided into two themes namely the physical environment and the emotional environment. Theme 1: Physical environment The physical environment refers to the classroom setting of a private nursing education institution in Potchefstroom, North-West Province. In this study the physical environment refers to an attempt at creating a warm and caring classroom encompassing desk and space arrangement, student placement, appeal of bulletin boards, storage of materials and supplies, classroom decorations, as well as environmental preferences such as temperature, lighting and noise levels. Various sub-themes emerged from the data with regard to the physical component of the environment and are discussed below. Sub-themes: Cleanliness, availability of resources, provision of breaks/time to refresh and comfortable class settings. Participants reported that the environment of the school needs to be neat and tidy to improve the relationship between the educator and student. With regard to the availability of resources participants reported a strong need for a computer laboratory in the school to accommodate the learning needs of all the students. Participants expressed that they want to have fun during and in between lessons. They want to be able to play games to refresh their minds, bodies and souls or even do exercises before class and after writing tests. Participants stated that the 92 classroom needs to have a warm environment with fresh air. The windows must be open or the air-conditioning must be switched on. The rest rooms also need to be easily accessible to prevent students from missing a lot of class work while using the restrooms or going out to drink water. Participant: “The physical environment means the whole, the building, desks, chairs, lighting and the air-conditioner.” Literature that report on the physical component of the environment confirms that it consists of sufficient lighting, adequate ventilation, air-conditioning and arrangement of seating, all of which contribute to an effective learning environment for students (Halarie and Cross, 2012). In addition to the statement above, Cooper (2004) discusses appropriate conditions for the physical environment and they include more space, more appropriate rooms and better resources and equipment to meet the needs of the students. To support these statements previous research states that the physical conditions of the classroom which includes seating, furnishings, spatial density, privacy, noise and acoustics, climate and thermal control, air quality, presence of windows, light and colour have an effect on students’ engagement, attainment, attendance and well-being (Black, 2007; Higgins et al., 2005). Therefore the physical environment affects students in different ways and by adjusting the environment according to students preferences, one can lead the way to better academic outcomes and contribute to an effective educator-student relationship. 93 Theme 2: Emotional environment The emotional environment refers to creating a positive learning environment in the classroom that would contribute to the academic success of nursing students. Educators need to establish a warm and welcoming atmosphere where students feel safe and willing to share. In this study the emotional environment refers to an attempt at creating an encouraging atmosphere where students feel safe to take risks, receive support from their educators and believe they can succeed if they put effort into it. Six sub-themes emerged from the data and are elaborated upon below. Sub-theme 1: Effective problem-solving Participants reported that both the educator and the student need to be involved in problem-solving. They viewed problem-solving as being able to take control of their lives and make choices in all situations. Participants expressed the need for the educator to help them learn problem-solving skills that will help them to cope with the many problems or challenges they are faced with on a daily basis. They strongly emphasized that many problems can arise in the classroom and both the educator and the student need to be prepared to face these problems and develop the ability to solve these problems efficiently and timeously. Participants reported that not all of them are fast learners and therefore this can be seen as a barrier to problem-solving. However, it can be overcome by having the necessary knowledge about the different learning preferences of learners, for instance visual learners, aural learners and hands-on learners. Participant: “Everybody can benefit from having good problem solving skills as we all encounter problems on a daily basis.” 94 Literature available on problem-solving describes it as being a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing and solving problems (Bernard, 1993). Therefore the ultimate goal of problem-solving focuses on overcoming any obstacle and finding the best solution to the problem (Bernard, 1993). Students can learn problem-solving skills through problem recognition tasks and documenting problem solutions (Angelo and Cross, 2010). Educators can ask students to recognize and identify a particular type of problem, help students focus on diagnosing the problem first rather than rushing into trying to solve it. In this way educators can assess how well students can recognize various problems and then go on to find matching solutions (Angelo and Cross, 2010). Thus if educators help students learn problem-solving skills it will strengthen their resilience skills which will have a positive impact on the educator- student relationship. “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” --Albert Einstein Sub-theme 2: Effective interaction Data revealed that the more the educator and student are willing to interact the better they get to know each other. Effective interaction refers to the development of two important language skills for educators and students, these are speaking and listening. Participants viewed interaction as being actively involved in discussions taking place in the classroom setting. Effective interaction between the educator and student creates the opportunity for both the educator and student to have their voices heard in the classroom. Through this type of interaction the educator and student understand each other better and this will enhance a positive educator- student relationship. 95 Participant: “You must not be afraid to stand up and say what you want to say.” From the literature it is evident that educators, who are actively seeking and facilitating opportunities for students to take part in class discussions, help students share their ideas and views and thus contribute to effective interaction (Hamre and Pianta, 2006). According to Bernard (1993) educators need to instill active participation through strategies such as giving students opportunities to respond to questions, asking their opinions on issues, asking questions that encourage critical thinking and making learning more hands-on. Therefore, through effective educator- student interaction, students can learn how to interact respectfully and how to be assertive without being rude. This is a vital component because in the nursing students’ career they need to interact with many different patients and other health care professionals on a daily basis. Sub-theme 3: Cooperation/ teamwork Creative cooperation and teamwork maximizes students’ strengths and minimizes their weaknesses and thus contributes to an efficient, dynamic and productive classroom. Participants viewed cooperation and teamwork as working together to accomplish their goals. Cooperation and teamwork need to take place during lecture sessions. Participants mentioned that through cooperation and teamwork they can learn from each other, consult with each other about problems and come to agreements about the best ways to reach their goals. Effective cooperation and teamwork amongst students contribute to the development of a positive team spirit characterized by trust, mutual respect, helpfulness and friendliness. 96 Participant: “We have to be able to work together, be able to listen to one another and so forth.” Jolliffe (2007) states that cooperation and teamwork encourage students to work together and to support each other necessitating interpersonal skills such as listening to others, encouraging each other, achieving consensus, conflict resolution and valuing each other. According to Brownlie and King (2000) a classroom climate that emphasizes belonging for students, model acceptance, cooperation and appreciation for each other contributes to a positive educator-student relationship. Sub-theme 4: Mutual respect Respect is a crucial component for a successful classroom and needs to be observable between the educator and the student. Participants reported that respect applies to everything and everyone and therefore mutual respect needs to be expressed by both the educator and the student. Respect is viewed as treating everyone in the same manner all the time. The educator must be able to give students respect and rightfully earn their respect in return. Without respect for one another, educators and students are going to have an unhealthy relationship. Participant: “We have to respect each other, from inside here to the outside world.” Mutual respect is an important element in the educator-student relationship because the way educators understand and foster respect in the classroom will have a great impact on how students understand respect and act respectfully in the future. Patrick et al. (2007) mentioned that when students feel their educators’ supports and respect them, they are more likely to focus on academics, expend effort on their studies and 97 ask their educator for help. Moreover, Klopper (2009) emphasizes that showing care and respect towards students encourages them to become successful. According to Freiberg (1996) creating a caring classroom climate where educators and students can respect each other contributes to students wanting to learn and to ultimately become informed and involved members of our society. Therefore without mutual respect, there exists no real foundation for a sound educator-student relationship or a foundation for a good learning environment. Sub-theme 5: Honesty/ integrity/ openness/ transparency “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.” -Spencer Johnson Honesty is an essential element which is fundamental to academic quality and integrity within the classroom. Participants reported a strong desire for honesty between the educator and student. Being honest entails being open, trustworthy, and truthful and admitting to mistakes, even when you know someone might be disappointed in you. Participants expressed the need to open up towards their educators. Although some students are very private, others are more comfortable with being transparent and open towards their educators. Participant: “By being open towards your educator, the educator will be able to discover problems and thereby helping you to solve it.” According to Bernard (1997) the nurse educator should create a caring and supporting learning environment through sharing expectations, being open, being honest, being available and approachable for students, ensuring open and authentic 98 communication, responding to students’ questions with interest and enthusiasm and providing positive feedback. Cefai (2008) mentions that caring classroom relationships, meaningful engagement, shared values and a sense of belonging consistently relate to positive academic and social outcomes among students. Sub-theme 6: Freedom of expression/ no discrimination For the purpose of this study freedom of expression refers to students expressing their opinions and ideas freely in the classroom without the fear of discrimination or prejudice. Participants reported that freedom of expression means that students want to express their thoughts and ideas freely in class without any discrimination. They strongly emphasized that each person has the right to their own opinion because not everyone thinks or acts in the same way and consequently they express themselves differently. Participant: “Feel free to express your thoughts and no need to discriminate.” According to Muller (2003) by creating an atmosphere for freedom of expression, one establishes an environment for students where critical debate can take place. Literature confirms that allowing students to express their opinions and imagination strengthens the student’s resilience skills which in turn improve the educator-student relationship (Bernard, 1997). Pollard (2007) emphasises that if educators consult students it contributes to students’ feeling that their ideas are welcomed and they contribute to the development of a more partnership oriented relationship between the educator and students. Therefore by allowing students to express themselves freely and openly in the classroom, one can contribute to creating an academic 99 setting where students can safely and comfortably express their ideas with one another and actively listen to other points of view. Category 2: Type of interaction that will improve your relationship with your educator Interaction indicates the ability of the educator and the student to come into contact, communicate and acknowledge one another in the classroom setting. Although discussed under category 2, Participants mentioned in category 1 that effective interaction forms a basic element in the emotional environment of the educator- student relationship. In category 2 Participants elaborated on the type of interaction they believed to be evident in the educator-student relationship. The educator- student interaction category is divided into three main themes, namely theme 1: interaction that is constructive, theme 2: interaction that acknowledges human rights and theme 3: interaction that makes use of appropriate non-verbal communication. Theme 1: Interaction that is constructive Participants reported that they need interaction that is constructive and it should demonstrate the following characteristics: approachable, respectful, friendly, patient, professional, civil, adaptable, helpful and non-threatening. These subthemes emerging from data will be discussed below. Sub-themes: Approachable, respectful, friendly, patient, professional, civil, adaptable, helpful and non-threatening. Participants state that the educator needs to be approachable by being available to students who may need support in understanding what is required of them. When students feel comfortable in approaching their educator they are more likely to risk 100 expressing their lack of understanding and ask for clarification of the expectations. Educators who are available, approachable and helpful create a safe environment for their students. The Participants also mentioned that the educator must be friendly, patient and treat them with respect. Data revealed that students believe that not all of them are the same type of learners, some are slow and others are fast learners, and therefore they need the educator to have patience with them. Participants stated that effective educator-student interaction requires professionalism from both the educator and the student. Data also revealed that the interaction between the educator and the student needs to be civil. In this study civil means that the educator and student treat each other in a courteous and polite manner and thereby creating a peaceful and warm environment in which to interact. Participants also stated that the interaction must be non-threatening in order to improve the educator-student relationship. Participant: “When students encounter a problem the educator must not threaten them or make them feel small or insecure but in return help them to solve the problem.” Del Prato et al. (2011) explain that the educator needs to be approachable, demonstrates respect for students and shows confidence in them. An approachable educator corrects students without being personal, listens to students, and gives acknowledgements when it is due, shows a genuine interest in students and is patient with students. All this contributes to an effective educator-student relationship. According to Muller (2003) educators need to show care and respect to students so as to encourage them to be successful through establishing a positive team spirit in the classroom. Moreover Wong and Wong (2001) state that educators 101 need to recognise students’ achievements, positively reinforce their accomplishments and celebrate students’ academic and personal success. In addition to previous statements, Harvey (2007) mentions that educators who promote resilience also promote positive relationships and pro-social behaviours such as helping, sharing, cooperating, collaborative problem-solving, and treating others with respect and courtesy. Therefore, educators who focus on students’ strengths and not their weaknesses not only build a positive educator-student relationship, but also contribute to students’ academic success throughout their lives (Wong and Wong, 2001). Theme 2: Interaction that acknowledges human rights Participants reported a desire for interaction that acknowledges human rights and this includes equality, freedom of expression, one-on-one communication, introspection, privacy and confidentiality, group work, participation and language that everyone can understand. Sub-themes: Equality, freedom of expression, one-on-one communication Equality refers to the fact that educators must treat all students equally without choosing sides. Participants feel the need to express themselves in the classroom whether it is to share ideas or merely to give their opinion on a matter. One-on-one communication means that students are not afraid to talk to their educator. Data also revealed that students need one-on-one sessions with the educator to determine each student’s weak points and help them to improve on it. 102 Participant: “When you have a problem, for the sake of students on different levels, I must not be afraid to talk to my educator, so that she can know me better and know my problems.” From the literature this statement can be supported by Hurlington (2010) who states that classroom practices should include scheduling one-on-one time to listen to your students. It will give you incredible insight into their world and has been shown to be the most effective way of creating dialogue with students. Therefore being approachable, having an open rapport and getting involved with students are all strategies to improve the educator-student relationship. According to Bernard (1997) educators need to provide students with opportunities to grow, including opportunities for asking questions that will encourage self-reflection, critical thinking and dialogue. Whereas Oandasan and Reeves (2005) state that institutional support, equal status of participants, positive expectations, a concern for and understanding of differences and similarities contribute to an effective educator-student relationship. Sub-themes: Introspection, privacy and confidentiality In this study, introspection refers to students examining their own conscious thoughts and feelings, therefore taking an inside look at themselves. Data revealed that the interaction between the educator and student depends on introspection of themselves. Students need to know what type of person they are, an introvert or an extrovert. This will affect the interaction between educator and student because the introvert will keep quiet and never ask questions while the extrovert won’t think twice about taking over a conversation. Participants strongly emphasized the need for privacy and confidentiality in any matters affecting them individually. 103 Participant: “Know who you are and what you want and what you want life to reap out of you. That means you must be able to go forward and know where you want to grow in although you don’t know where you are going to, but you know where you coming from.” Literature confirms that educators need to listen to their students, engage them as fellow human beings, recognise and understand their perspectives and world views, and attend to their relational needs (Johnson, 2008). Adding to the previous statement, Muller (2003) mentions that educators need to encourage independence, control and active involvement from their students as this will contribute to a positive educator-student relationship. Theme 3: Interaction that make use of appropriate non-verbal communication Subthemes identified under this theme include the use of appropriate body language and tone of voice. The educator must make use of appropriate body language that is non-discriminating. Participants feel that the educator must be friendly and smile whenever entering the classroom. Participant: “She must be friendly when she enters the door so that all of us can be relaxed.” In the available literature, Bernard and Slade (2009) mentioned that educators need to act friendly, smile, say hello (especially outside the class), take interest in students and notice when students are troubled. According to Palmer (2007) educators can express enthusiasm through facial expressions, body language, stating preferences, describing personal experiences or amazing facts, showing collected artefacts, using 104 humour, putting energy into preparing their lesson and meticulously preparing materials. Hamre and Pianta (2006) state that the quality of information or how it is conveyed (tone of voice, posture and proximity, timing of behaviour, or contingency of behaviour) means more than what is actually said or done. Whereas Smith and Batten (2012) state that appropriate non-verbal communication can be achieved by applying the following strategies: Straight but relaxed positions while sitting denote professionalism and engagement. Lighten up - don't take yourself too seriously Keeping the palms open and facing toward a person represent openness Maintaining eye contact translates to honesty, but you should occasionally look slightly elsewhere otherwise you may be perceived as staring or as too intense People will be more inclined to listen to you, if you seem to be a positive person Category 3: Qualities displayed by educator and student to improve the relationship between the educator and the student This category denotes to the qualities an educator needs to display in order to improve their relationship with their students. During data analysis two themes emerged from the data namely, theme 1: qualities of the educator and theme 2: qualities of students. The original question focused only on qualities displayed by the educator but participants spontaneously added qualities that need to be displayed by students. Theme 1: Qualities of the educator The nurse educator needs to possess qualities to ensure that an effective educator- student relationship develops. Participants mentioned that the educator must display 105 qualities of love and care, respect, responsibility, morality, patience, openness to new ideas, motivation, willingness to “go the extra mile” and punctuality. These various subthemes are discussed below. Sub-theme: Love and care, as well as respect The educator must show love and care to the students so that they can feel free to come to the educator with any questions. Students must not be afraid to ask questions because if they don’t ask questions they may never understand. Participants feel that the educator must show respect to them so that the educator can receive the same respect from the students. Data revealed that educators need to use respect when dealing with students. Respect is a two-way street and therefore the educator needs to treat students with respect, never “talking down” to them or embarrassing them. Participants also feel a strong desire for educators to greet them upon entering the classroom so that students can feel relax, calm and free to enjoy the day. Participant: “Because if the educator comes in rude, we will assume that she is angry and we will not enjoy the class. The educator must be friendly and positive.” Literature confirms that caring and supportive educators create qualitatively different classroom environments that feel warm, encourage students to behave in responsible ways, and emphasize learning over performing (Davis, 2009). Boynton and Boynton (2005) state that when the educator stands at the door and welcome students as they enter the classroom, is a quick and easy way to show students that they are important and that you are glad to see them. Students who perceive their educators as loving and caring tend to engage more with the content; they also take 106 intellectual risks and persist in the face of failure (Davis, 2009). The nurse educator who is most successful in creating an environment for effective learning to take place is one who is respectful towards learners’ uniqueness and abilities, one who is usually wise, non-judgmental, generous, confident, honest, willing to take risks, willing to show forth without showing off and one who is motivated to educate (Meyer and van Niekerk, 2008). Jennings (2003) mentions the four elements of caring that contribute to an effective educator-student relationship: Noticing students and checking into their well-being Making discussions relevant to students’ experiences Listening without judgement and Inviting students to talk outside of class time. Sub-theme: Responsibility Responsibility indicates that the students acknowledge that through their thinking, feeling and behaving, they are in control of how they experience life. Participants emphasized that it is their responsibility to approach the educator whenever they encounter problems, so that the educator can know when they require assistance and then the educator can help them to solve the problem. Data revealed that participants feel the educator is responsible for helping and supporting students but the responsibility for learning remains with the students. Participant: “It is our responsibility to approach the educator whenever we experience a problem.” According to Muller (2003) the students are responsible to prove that they are ready to learn by displaying the necessary interest, motivation and sense of responsibility. 107 Students need to be actively involved in the learning process and not passively. It is the students’ responsibility to unravel knowledge in order to make the meaning; significance and application value of it their own (Muller, 2003). The educator is responsible to present the knowledge in the most meaningful and appropriate way but the responsibility to learn the information presented remains with the student. To emphasize the above-mentioned statement, literature indicates that students who take responsibility for their own learning contribute to the development of personal outcomes, such as a reduction in negative behaviours, an increase in a sense of self-efficacy and potency (the belief that one can make a difference), resilience, social competence, and related constructs (Billig, 2000). Sub-theme: Patience Patience is one of the crucial qualities in an educator-student relationship and may also be the most difficult one to learn. Educators need to have a lot of patience, for their own benefit as well as for the benefit of their students. Excellent educators need to display the patience of Job as related in the Bible. Participants strongly emphasized that the educator must not shout at them if they don’t understand the work or if they ask questions because this type of behavior has a negative impact on their relationship with their educator. Participant: “For instance, if she explains twice and I still don’t understand, she must explain to me because we all have different minds. We don’t absorb the same. Explain to me until I understand.” Baxter (2012) mentions that patience is one of those obvious traits that are often surprisingly under-cultivated in educators. Having patience both with students and 108 yourself will create a more disciplined, more rational you. Patience can overcome anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. The educator can apply these both to the teaching style and also impart it to the students (Baxter, 2012). According to Freedson (2009) patience can help develop the ability to think through and resolve problems and it can counteract impulsivity and behaviours of acting out. Teaching patience by setting an example helps students acquire the qualities needed for emotional maturity: resilience, self-containment, and the ability to self-soothe (Freedson, 2009). Sub-theme: Openness to new ideas Participants stated that the educator needs to be open to new ideas. Being open to new ideas isn’t just about tolerating different opinions, views or arguments. Openness to new ideas can lead to better decision-making, greater personal creativity and also the establishment of an interactive environment. Therefore the educator must acknowledge the input of the students during classroom discussions because it can be of enormous value to teaching/learning. No one likes a person who refuses to listen to your ideas or inputs. If the educator is open to new ideas it will contribute to the development of an effective educator-student relationship. Participant: “The educator must not tell the students that you can’t tell me what to do.” According to Klopper (2009) educators need to establish a learning climate in which students feel free to try and to fail, and in which viewpoints can be stated freely. Whereas Muller (2003) states that the nurse educator needs to create an atmosphere of freedom of speech so that continuous debate can take place. The 109 negative statement of: “don’t ask questions- do as I say” must be avoided at all times. When students ask questions, educators should display open-mindedness by encouraging the asking of questions and critical debate without humiliating students (Muller, 2003). Bernard and Slade (2009) mention that attentive listening incorporates all three protective factors- caring for, believing in, and inviting the participation and contribution of the one listened to. Through listening to students, the educator contributes to motivating students, connecting students to their academic outcomes and improving the climate for learning. Sub-theme: Motivation The educator needs to have the ability to motivate students and keep them actively participating in the learning process. Educators can keep students actively involved through using different teaching styles. Participants reported that they want to be taught by different people. Participants feel that different people teach in different ways and this can help students to understand better and will also help to motivate them. Participant: “Once in a while there must be someone, maybe from the Department of Education to teach us, to have many different people teaching us.” Educators have a lot to do with students' levels of motivation. When the educator is more enthusiastic about a topic, the students will be more inclined to believe that the topic has value for them. In this way educator enthusiasm can motivate students (Williams and Williams, 2011). According to Davis (2009) educators need to use the following strategies to motivate their students: 110 Give frequent, early, positive feedback that supports students' beliefs that they can do well Ensure opportunities for students' success by assigning tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult Help students find personal meaning and value in the material Communicate personal interest in students by calling them by name, initiating conversations with them before or after class, asking questions during class, and referring to “our” class Create an atmosphere that is open and positive Help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community Sub-theme: Willingness to go the “extra mile”, and punctuality Educators often go the extra mile for their students. These educators are recognized for their willingness to go above and beyond what is required of them to make sure that their students succeed in the classroom as well as in life. Participants feel that both the educator and student need to go the extra mile. This means that both the educator and student must be willing to do more than what is expected from them. Punctuality is vital and applies to both the educator and student. Being punctual is one of the most important ethical characteristics of nursing, because no patient can wait for you. Participant: “We say that punctuality is vital, like everyday life you must be punctual. You can’t just come, maybe school starts at 08h00, and then you come at 08h30. It’s not being punctual” 111 The available literature refers to an educator who must be emotionally intellectual (Baxter, 2012). It is part of an educator’s job to help a student get through the course with success. Sometimes this means recognizing that specific students need extra help, and sometimes it means giving free reign to a student who is doing especially well (Baxter, 2012). Punctuality is very important, although some people don't value it as much as others. Being punctual shows common courtesy and respect to others. It is especially important in the workplace. Successful nurse educators are punctual, well prepared for class instruction and have an organised office area (Vicky, 2009). Theme 2: Qualities of the student Participants stated that the qualities they need to have included: versatility, being prepared for classes, paying attention in classes, showing gratitude to educators and taking initiative. These subthemes are discussed together. Sub-themes: Versatility, being prepared for classes, paying attention, showing gratitude, taking initiative Participants reported that they must be versatile and be able to multi-task, in other words, being able to do many things simultaneously. By being versatile and flexible students have the ability to succeed in anything they do. They must have the ability to change quickly from one task to another. Students must come prepared to class and also pay attention during lectures. They also reported on the need to show gratitude towards their educator for everything the educator is teaching them. With regard to taking initiative students feel that they also need to instigate tasks/activities and not always waiting for the educator to do so. 112 Participant: “The learner must come prepared for class, for instance, if the educator says please look at learning unit 1.2 and 3 and 4, just go through it.” Beutel (2002) states that educators who provide students with opportunities to instigate learning experiences rather than simply providing information, causes a shift from educator-centred work to student-directed activities. According to Brown and Race (2002) educators who involve students by using group work, paired discussions and other active learning techniques will ensure effective learning experiences for students. In addition, Goodwin (2004) mentions that in the classroom resilient students need to display the following characteristics/qualities: Coming to classes prepared Assume ownership of outcomes Act independently Volunteer for in-class and out-of-class activities Be self-starters with a strong desire for success See the world as a positive place despite hardship Have high, intrinsic, achievement motivation Be flexible and be actively involved in learning new skills Category 4: Staying resilient Resilience is the ability to handle adverse situations with persistence, hope, wisdom, character and strength (Goodwin, 2004). Therefore resilience is a natural survival character trait that every individual possesses. In some it shines brightly while in others it may still need to be developed. Students reported various ways in which they manage to stay resilient. Seven themes were identified and are discussed below. 113 Theme 1: Being positive Data revealed that students need to be positive by acknowledging and accepting the situations they are in. Participants reported that they associate themselves with positive people and that they try to think positively. They mentioned that they need to be flexible and find ways to adapt to specific situations. Through displaying a positive attitude, students not only believe in themselves but also get along with others and this contributes to a positive attitude towards their academic work. Participant: “Have a positive attitude and approach to life.” Oandasan and Reeves (2005) state that the development of positive attitudes requires students to be able to express themselves openly, share their opinions in a safe environment and be given time to reflect on their role in a team of equals. Moreover Janas (2002) mentions that treating students with positive attitude increases desirable character traits which then sets the stage for future decisions and shapes actions that support positive development. To substantiate these statements Baxter (2012) states that positive thinking can bring happiness and levity, and it helps people cope with setbacks of everyday life, especially in nursing. Theme 2: Having support systems Offering support means that educators provide students with emotional support by creating a warm and caring classroom environment where students can feel free and safe. This should strengthen their resilience skills. Data revealed that students need to have support systems to support them throughout their academic studies. Students often look to family, friends and peers for guidance, support and direction. These support systems include churches, social workers, counselors and caring 114 relationships with family members and friends. It was also evident from the data that some students seek help from their educator. Through having an effective support system, like those mentioned above, students manage to stay resilient. Participants: “Seek help from a church like a pastor to help you cope with the situation.” Research on resilience shows those positive relationships with family, friends and peers, who are available to provide support when needed, are an important factor that helps students achieves academic success in life (Brooks, 2002). Therefore students need to have supportive relationships with their educators, peers and family. Hupfeld (2010) states that educators play a very important role in students’ lives by providing support through establishing supportive classroom environments where strong relationships between educators and students can be built. According to Cherry (s.a) being resourceful is an important part of resilience, so students must be able to ask for help when needed. Having caring and supportive people around you, who you can confide in, also helps one become more resilient. Meichenbaum (2005) states that students can practice resilience through: Having a friend and being a friend Taking charge of their behavior and asking for help if needed Setting new goals and making a plan to reach them Looking at the bright side of things and having hope Believing in yourself and others 115 Theme 3: Changing study methods Another strategy that helps students stay resilient is through changing their study methods. Data revealed that students who do not perform well in school said that they need to change their study methods. Participants indicated that they either study in groups or have one-on-one sessions with their educator in order to strengthen their resilience. Participant: “Form a group to study or have a one-on-one with your tutor to help you.” Boynton and Boynton (2005) refer to the above as the educator who needs to tell students “they have the ability to do well”. When educators tell their students that they have the ability to do well, students gain confidence in themselves and the educator imparts a very powerful message to them. Students will work hard and often behave appropriately to prove that your confidence in them is justified (Boynton and Boynton, 2005). According to Williams and Williams (2011) having a good set of notes, using an appropriate amount of time to study and developing good study methods all contribute to students’ academic success. Adding to the previous statement Harvey (2007) mentions that important study skills include setting goals, tracking academic progress, using good time management strategies, planning and prioritizing activities, using assignment books and designating a quiet place for homework and studying. Theme 4: Self-motivation Self-motivation means that students have the ability to motivate themselves. In this study participants mentioned that they manage to stay resilient through motivating themselves, to be productive, having a positive attitude towards life, finding ways to 116 solve any misunderstandings or problems and always keeping their moral high. This is accomplished through not being too hard on themselves and by realizing that each person is a unique human being with their own individual competencies. Participants said that they talk to people who experience similar problems and never allow anyone to make them feel inferior because they are special in their own unique way. Participant: “Be able to uplift yourself.” According to Cherry (s.a) resilient people see themselves as survivors and not victims. Therefore, students need to avoid thinking like a victim of circumstances and instead look for ways to resolve the problem. While the situation may be unavoidable, resilient people stay focused on a positive outcome. Davis (2003) documented over the last 30 years the literature emphasized the importance of supportive educator-student relationships to improve student motivation, learning and achievement. Consequently student motivation is an essential element needed for quality education (Williams and Williams, 2011). Theme 5: Setting personal goals Setting goals is an important strategy to strengthen resilience and data revealed that students set personal goals for themselves to achieve academic success. Participants also mentioned that they do not compare themselves with others because everyone is different. They believe that having faith and courage in themselves help them stay resilient. Participant: “Set personal goals for yourself. Have faith and have courage in yourself.” 117 According to Hupfeld (2010) resilience skills that link to academic success include: building confidence, making connections, setting goals, managing stress, increasing well-being and understanding motivation. Seifert (2004) states that students, who feel confident, have a sense of action and perceive meaning in their academic work will pursue learning goals. Whereas Janas (2002) adds that students need to follow a four step process to reach goals namely (1) clearly identify the goal, (2) decide on why you want to reach the goal, (3) clarify the appropriate line of action and generate options and (4) take action. Theme 6: Take pride Pride refers to recognizing students’ success through acknowledging their accomplishments. Participants stated that they must be proud and take pride in what they have achieved or what they want to achieve in the end. Participant: “Be proud and take pride.” Pride can be an extremely powerful force in developing positive educator-student relationships. According to Boynton and Boynton (2005) educators’ goal should be to help students take pride in their accomplishments and positive behaviors. Pride can be established in the classroom by using the following classroom strategies as mentioned by Boynton and Boynton (2005): Display student work Positively reinforce students verbally Show off the class’s achievements Speak to the accomplishments of all your students Be sincere in your pride in your students 118 Look for opportunities for students to be proud in all areas Develop parental pride in student accomplishments Theme 7: Perseverance and determination Students manage to stay resilient through difficult or challenging learning and studying tasks by means of perseverance and determination. Participants stated that they do not need to undermine themselves by underestimating their intelligence. What they think of themself is what they become. Data also revealed that students who are willing to take learning risks, learn from mistakes, and improve academic work demonstrate resilience. Participant: “You must have perseverance and determination in everything that comes your way because failure is not your destiny but success is your destiny and a way forward. Look at things from a positive perspective.” “You cannot push someone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself” – Robert Schuller. Hupfeld (2010) reports that researchers found that many personal resilience traits can be linked to a sense of self-efficacy and self-determination, in other words, to believe that they have the ability to shape what happens and are responsible for their own success. In this way students who believe in their own effectiveness, combined with motivation and skills that allow one to be effective, can be examples of self- fulfilling prophecies (Hupfeld, 2010). Janas (2002) mentions that positive character skills like patience, tolerance, responsibility, compassion, determination, commitment, self-reliance and hope cultivate successful adaptive and coping 119 behaviours. Furthermore Harvey (2007) adds that positive attitudes that promote resilience include encouraging oneself to try, being determined to persevere until success is attained, applying a problem-solving approach to difficult situations, and fostering feelings of hardiness. Category 5: Suggestions to be implemented in the educator-student relationship to strengthen resilience in students In the last category participants were asked to reflect on strategies or suggestions to help them strengthen their resilience as nursing students. Two themes emerged from the data analysed, namely (1) suggestions regarding educators and (2) suggestions regarding studying. Theme 1: Suggestions regarding educators Participants reported that educators need to implement the following suggestions/strategies to help them improve their resilience skills: Teaching extra lessons when needed One-on-one sessions with students when needed Giving students an opportunity to participate and interact in classes Giving appropriate rewards for doing well/or for improving Mutual respect between educators and students Literature that confirms the above-mentioned suggestions is based on evidence from Bernard (1996) who listed strategies to convey high expectations to students: Have a “No excuses/ Never give up” philosophy Believes in an innate capacity of all to learn 120 Focus on the whole student, including social, emotional, cognitive, physical and spiritual aspects Understand the needs motivating student behaviour and learning Challenge and support students Affirm/encourage the best in others Connects learning to students interests, strengths, experiences, dreams and goals Articulate clear expectations/boundaries and structure Provides clear explanations Convey the message to students that they are resilient Theme 2: Suggestions regarding studying Participants reported that by using different study methods they can improve their resilience skills. These suggested study methods include: Use mind mapping to study Create a song using the material of the module to help you remember Make use of group study Do research and make use of different sources In the literature Bernard (1996) describes the following strategies that can be used by educators to increase student participation or contribution: Provides opportunities for planning, decision-making and problem solving Empower students to create classroom rules Create opportunities for creative expression e.g. writing, drama, and storytelling Provide opportunities for students to use/contribute their strengths, interests, goals and dreams 121 Give meaningful responsibilities Provide on-going opportunities for personal reflection, dialogue and discussion Use experience-based learning and cooperative learning LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The researcher identified the following limitations with regard to the study: Data collected was limited to only one private NEI The sample was limited to only one group of forty enrolled nursing auxiliaries The researcher strived to overcome these limitations through writing a detailed report which will enable further research to duplicate this study in other settings if necessary. DISCUSSION Conclusions were drawn by establishing the interrelation between the literature review, the theoretical framework chosen for this study, namely a resilience framework (Kumpfer, 1999) and the findings of the research. The conclusions are presented as a conceptual framework of the basic elements needed in an educator- student relationship as provided by the researcher and illustrated below in Figure 4. In figure 4 (below), it is illustrated that in the educator-student relationship, certain basic elements need to be in place to ensure that this relationship remains effective. The educator-student relationship is illustrated by a double-pan balance scale in figure 4. The relationship is presented as the beam balancing the two pans representing the educator and the student respectively. In each of these pans, the basic elements needed in the educator-student relationship are represented and are balanced against each other. 122 Figure 4: Conceptual framework for the basic elements needed for an effective educator-student relationship Each of these basic elements, i.e. environment, interaction and qualities, forms the building blocks that are needed to ensure that the relationship remains in equilibrium to ensure resilience. The central pivot point resembles the resilience in the educator- student relationship. If all building blocks are present, it will strengthen the resilience in the educator-student relationship. If one of these building blocks is left out it will result in an imbalance in the educator-student relationship. After illustrating which basic elements are required in the educator-student relationship (figure 4), the researcher will now conclude how these elements of the educator-student relationship as identified from the findings interrelate with the six major predictors of resilience according to Kumpfers’ resilience framework, chosen for this study. Evidence from the literature concerning the protective factors that ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION QUALITIES ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION QUALITIES RESILIENCE EDUCATOR STUDENT RELATIONSHIP 123 strengthen resilience with regard to the educator-student relationship will also be provided, as illustrated in figure 5 below. Kumpfer’s major predictors of resilience Elements of educator- student relationship Protective factors of resilience Figure 5: The relationship between major predictors of resilience, elements of educator-student relationship and protective factors of resilience Barriers threatening the relationship The educator-student relationship needs to display certain characteristics to remain effective, especially, if some stressor or challenge comes along and threatens to 1. Stressors or challenges 6. Positive outcomes or successful life adaptation 5. Resilience Processes 4. Internal-self characteristics or resilience factors 3. Person- environment interactional processes 2. The external environmental context Barriers threatening the relationship Physical- and emotional environment Educator-student interaction Educator and student qualities Educator-student resilience Effective educator- student relationship Caring and supportive relationships Positive and high expectations Opportunities to participate and contribute 124 damage the effectiveness of this relationship. From the findings of this study it is evident that various stressors or challenges within the educator-student relationship exist and include: lack of caring and supportive classroom environments, lack of mutual interaction and an unfriendly or unsupportive educator. According to Kumpfers’ resilience framework stressors or challenges, which are the first predictor, allow an individual to demonstrate resilience (Kumpfer, 1999). Whether it is a stressor or challenge depends on the students’ ability to perceive and interpret the event as stressful or threatening. Literature reported that the fourth greatest source of stress for students is the relationship with their educators (Del Prato et al., 2011). Other stressors that pose a threat to a students’ academic performance includes time management, financial problems, sleep deprivation, social activities and for some students even having children (Womble, 2003). Students experience negative interpersonal relationships with their educators and this result in a great amount of stress for them (Timmins and Kaliszer, 2002). If students perceive their educator as uncaring or unsupportive it causes a stressful situation for students which impacts negatively on the effectiveness of the educator-student relationship. Physical- and emotional environment The environment refers to the classroom and includes both the physical- and emotional environment in teaching/learning. Kumpfer’s resilience framework points out that the external environmental context (predictor 2) is one of the major constructs influencing resilience. If an acute stressor occurs, the environmental context can exacerbate a negative impact on the individual. An environmental characteristic that serves as protection for students at risk is creating a caring and supportive environment with high expectations for students’ success. 125 Therefore if the external environment is not as supportive and positive as it should be, it influences the students’ academic outcomes and also impacts negatively on the educator-student relationship (Kumpfer, 1999). Combining the physical and emotional environment, the available literature emphasizes that both educators and students state a desire for an open, caring, supportive, comfortable, respectful, safe or non-threatening and enjoyable classroom environment which contributes to a positive educator-student relationship (Anderson and Carta-Falsa, 2002; Petrus et al., 2012; Redmond and Sorrell, 1996; Schofield, 2001; Hanson et al., 2004). Educator-student interaction Educator-student interaction denotes the ability of the educator and the student to come into contact, communicating and acknowledging one another in the classroom setting. The more the educator and student are willing to interact the better they will get to know each other. The third predictor in the resilience framework is the person- environment interactional process and includes person-to-person interaction (Kumpfer, 1999). This interactional process involves the person either passively or actively attempting to perceive, interpret and surmount threats, challenges or difficult environments in order to construct more protective environments (Kumpfer, 1999). Literature reports that if the educator provides students with opportunities for creative expression, helping others, using participatory evaluation strategies, involving students in creating classroom rules, involving students to express their opinions and imagination, making choices, solving problems, working with and helping others, it strengthens the student’s resilience skills which will in turn improves the educator- student relationship (Bernard, 1997). 126 Educator-student qualities Qualities refer to traits that both the educator and student need to have. Qualities are vital to effective teaching and the promotion of positive relationships which in turn fosters emotional well-being and educational engagement. Findings from this study indicate that the educator must display qualities of love and care, respect, responsibility, morality, patience, openness to new ideas, motivation, willingness to “go the extra mile” and punctuality. In addition, students need to display qualities of versatility, being prepared for class, paying adequate attention in class, showing gratitude to their educators and taking initiative for learning. According to the forth construct in the resilience framework both educator and student need to possess internal self-characteristics to strengthen their resilience (Kumpfer, 1999). Adding to Kumpfer’s framework, McMillan and Reed (1994) state that resilience skills include qualities of personal attributes (motivation and goal orientation), positive use of time (homework completion and on-task behaviour), family life (family support and expectations) and classroom learning environment (overall climate). Educator-student resilience Educator and student resilience refers to both educators’ and students’ ability to handle adverse situations with persistence, hope, wisdom, character and strength. Resilient students are students who succeed despite the presence of adverse conditions and they respond to stress in ways that help them not only to recover, but also to grow and thrive. Findings reported various ways in which students manage to stay resilient, namely: being positive, having a support system, changing study methods, self-motivation, setting personal goals, taking pride, perseverance and determination. Educators who can contribute to building resilience skills in students 127 will improve on the effectiveness of the educator-student relationship and thus contribute to student resilience. According to the resilience framework the fifth construct, resilience processes, includes establishing short and long term resilience through developing appropriate coping processes to help individuals to bounce back from any challenge or stressors that they are faced with (Kumpfer, 1999). Williams and Williams (2011) stated that having a good set of notes, using an appropriate amount of time to study and developing good study methods all contribute to students’ academic success. Janas (2002) mentions that positive character skills include patience, tolerance, responsibility, compassion, determination, commitment, self-reliance and hope and they all cultivate successful adaptive and coping behaviours. Effective educator-student relationship Good relationships are fundamental to our well-being because it makes us happier and helps us to function better. Strong educator-student relationships promote students’ social and academic performance in a positive way. Establishing such a strong relationship acts as a safeguard for students who are socially and intellectually at risk. From the findings it is evident that students express the need for a quality relationship. Kumpfer’s (1999) resilience framework points out that predictor 6, positive outcomes or successful life adaptation, refers to the person demonstrating resilience after disruption or stress. Therefore to ensure that the educator-student relationship provides a positive outcome, educators need to increase resilience characteristics and reduce environmental inequities and stressors for students (Kumpfer, 1999). Wentzel (2012) 128 mentions, that an effective educator-student relationship is characterized by degrees of continuity, shared history and interdependent interactions. The benefits of an effective educator-student relationship are that it provides emotional well-being, a sense of cohesion and connectedness, instrumental help, a secure base and a sense of identity for promoting positive developmental outcomes (Wentzel, 2012). Protective factors in resilience The foundation for the educator-student relationship begins with educators who demonstrate a resilience-building attitude. According to Bernard (1994) educators who have a resilience-building attitude, increase resilience in students through creating an environment conducive for caring and personal relationships to develop. Caring educators that provide and model protective factors through instruction and engaging students in active participation and learning, while maintaining high expectations, develop students who demonstrate resilient characteristics. Protective factors temper a risk factor. In other words, when students experience high levels of stress, the protective factors are of high influence and when the levels of stress are lower, protective factors are of less influence. The more protective factors are present in students’ lives, the more likely they are to display resilience. The three protective factors are caring relationships, high expectations and meaningful ways to work together in order to promote resilience in students (Bernard and Slade, 2009). If these protective factors reside in the educators as well as the students, it provides for developmental needs of safety, love and belonging, respect, power, challenge, mastery and meaning. When resilience is fostered and engaged, the internal assets of social competence, problem-solving, autonomy and a sense of purpose emerge. The provision of external protective factors such as fostering a 129 sense of achievement, academic pressure and high expectations, attentive and caring educators and a sound educator-student relationship all contribute to students demonstrating resilience characteristics. RECOMMENDATIONS Throughout this study it was argued that the students’ relationship with their educator is fundamental to their academic success. Educator-student relationships develop over the educational period through students’ and educators’ beliefs, attitudes, behaviors and interactions with one another. Recommendations for nursing education From the research it is evident that the educator-student relationship needs to be effective to strengthen the resilience of nursing students. Based on these findings the following recommendations can be made for nursing education: Educators can be informed through seminars, workshops, portfolios and videos about how to establish a positive and effective educator-student relationship and what positive effects it may have on students Educators need to implement specific strategies such as case studies, role play and group discussions to strengthen the resilience of nursing students Nursing students need to be made aware of how to stay resilient and what specific strategies to follow to strengthen their resilience Recommendations for nursing practice Nurse educators have a responsibility towards nursing students to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary for their nursing career and to foster caring 130 relationships with students. Based on the findings of this study the following recommendation can be made for nursing practice: Practices to strengthen the resilience of nursing students need to be implemented by being a role model for them so they can, in turn, make use of caring nursing practices towards their patients Educators can add lectures regarding resilience to help students identify personal protective factors as well as personal strengths and empower them to use these in the clinical practice Recommendations for research Good practice should be based on research. Research within the educational setting is important because it provides educators with a justification and rationale for decisions and actions and help build catalogue to deal with unexpected problems. Educational research helps to improve education standards and the quality of teaching. Previous research focused on disciplines other than nursing. Based on these findings the following recommendations can be made for research in the nursing discipline: Further research needs to be done on how to measure the existing educator- student relationship in the classroom This study used a small sample of forty nursing students, which was selected from a rather small population of sixty. According to Hart (2005) a small population does not form a basis for generalisation. Therefore research can be done on a larger population of nursing students 131 CONCLUSION The educator-student relationship depends on basic elements to ensure an effective relationship between educator and student. Creating a caring and supportive environment where learning can take place not only improves the relationship but also has a positive effect on the students’ academic performance. 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