Aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life: A qualitative study of adult students’ experiences of a blended learning master programme in Norway

AIM: To gain knowledge of how adult students experienced the first year of a blended learning master programme to better understand their learning process. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study based on data from two focus group interviews with students attending a blended learning Master programme. Qualitative content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman’s procedures was applied. FINDINGS: Our analyses revealed one main theme: aspiring for competence in a multifaceted everyday life and four main categories: acquiring professional competence, struggling to manage diverse forms of communication, demanding task juggling and confused student role. CONCLUSIONS: The participants experienced that the programme enabled them to acquire professional competence relevant to practice. Despite the challenges, the programme is recommended for prospective students who live in both urban and rural areas, who are working and also responsible for children and other family tasks.