O Podcast como Ferramenta Pedagógica no Ensino Superior: Estudo Qualitativo sobre a Experiência de Estudantes de Enfermagem

Considering the stated objective, a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study design was chosen to understand the meanings attributed by Nursing students to the usability of pedagogical podcasts in their learning process.

Qualitative research is particularly suited for capturing the complexity of human experiences and the depth of subjective phenomena (Bardin, 2016; Krueger & Casey, 2015).

To investigate the students' experiences, an electronic Focus Group (e-FG) was conducted. This method allows for the collection of rich data through group interaction, moderated to ensure all participants can express their perspectives. The study was structured according to the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) guidelines to ensure methodological rigor and transparency.
The participants were selected through stratified intentional sampling, comprising eight Nursing students from a Portuguese higher education institution, distributed across all four years of the degree. Data collection was carried out in June 2024 via the Microsoft Teams© platform. The sessions were recorded and transcribed verbatim for subsequent analysis.
Data Analysis
The data analysis followed the thematic content analysis technique proposed by Bardin (2016), which involves three distinct phases: pre-analysis, material exploration, and treatment of results/inference. The process was supported by the webQDA® software, which facilitated the systematic coding and categorization of the corpus into two primary dimensions: Potentials and Constraints.
To ensure the reliability of the findings, researcher triangulation was employed, with independent coding performed by three different investigators. The final categories reflect the potential for personal development, time management, and scientific support, while identifying technical quality and hardware limitations as constraints.
Ethical Considerations
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the institution’s Ethics Committee (No. P01-2023). All participants provided written informed consent. To ensure anonymity and confidentiality, participants were coded (e.g., E1, E2) and all identifying information was removed from the shared transcripts.