The peer groups bridging the disciplines and social contexts at higher education

Abstract

The aim of the study is to promote understanding of peer groups meanings from the students’ point of view. The research task is to find out teacher students’ conceptions of the andracogical peer groups in the health science teacher studies at university. Teacher students’ peer groups are based on andracogically formed principles. The participants are (65) health science teacher students, who have started in 2009-2012. The data (578 written pages) was gathered by using essay writing in the end of their one year teacher studies and analysed by a phenomenographic method. The results are three hierarchical categories of peer groups meanings description 1) Value of otherness in participation the peer group 2) Otherness in peer group as mirror to personal teaching; 3) Community as the basis for a high-quality education. The results of the study indicate how and why teacher student’s peer group is significant in andracogical teacher education.