Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Seeking to inquire: the interplay of reflection, learning and research Dr Pauline Griffiths, Senior Lecturer SHS Dr Fiona Murphy, Senior Lecturer, SHS

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 The Presentation Overview of reflection and reflective practice Reflection: undergraduate example Reflection: postgraduate example Linking reflection to research

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 School of Health Science Over 3000 students High numbers of students who do or will work in healthcare related roles. Must be Life Long Learners-they will be caring for YOU! Important for students to not merely know but also to be able to do

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Teaching Quality Manual 2008/09 Undergraduate and post graduate programmes ‘Higher Education Institutions in the UK were required to introduce, by 2005/06, as part of the Progress File initiative a means by which students can monitor, build and reflect reflect upon their personal development which has been termed personal development planning (PDP).’ (section 7. P. 136)

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 What learning? LEAP Swansea University : ‘Learning and professional development is a structured and supported process which you undertake to reflect upon your own learning, performance and achievements, and to plan for your own personal, educational and career development’.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Defining reflection.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Defining reflection. An in-depth consideration of events or situations outside oneself: solitary or with critical support. (Bolton 2005)

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Background to reflection John Dewey John Dewey- discovery learning Gilbert Rye Gilbert Rye –’knowing that’ precedes ‘knowing how’ Michael Polanyi Michael Polanyi- ‘tacit’ and ‘explicit’ knowledge Donald Schon Donald Schon- technical rationality. Mezirow Mezirow – critical reflection leading to transformative learning and the challenging of assumptions that underpin beliefs, feelings and actions

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice Reflection is a skill to enhance the student’s potential to become an expert practitioner by- The process of creating and clarifying the meaning of experience in terms of self in relation to both self and the world. The outcome of this process is changed conceptual perspectives. (Boyd & Fales 1983)

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Undergraduate example Introduced to the concept of reflection Timetabled tutorial groups with personal tutor after each clinical placement Formative reflective accounts and a summative assessment as the final year assessment Clinical portfolio

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective Cycle -adapted from Gibbs (1988) Description-What happened ? Feelings-What were you thinking and feeling? What lead you to that decision /option/ opinion ? Evaluation-What was good and bad about the experience? Analysis-What sense can you make of the situation? What have you learnt? What does the literature say ? Conclusion-What else could you have done? What have you learnt? Action Plan-If it arose again what would you do? Would you do things differently ?

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 A Reflective Account -End of first clinical placement (TB1) ‘We were called to a cardiac incident…The male was lying on the floor…. After making suitable safety sweeps my PPEd* undertook initial assessments. We gave oxygen. …the male was transported to hospital…’ Paramedic student Adam *PPEd -Practice Placement Educator

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 A Reflective Account -End of second clinical placement (TB2) I was feeling nervous on the way to the incident…The patient was young, it was trauma related and the patient was semi- conscious…We had to make sure the patient fully understood what happened… during the incident I focussed on what my role was, and was ready to make use of my new skills…. Paramedic student Adam

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Postgraduate example ‘I knew he (the patient) wasn’t right….his obs were stable but he was ‘transparent’. I’d seen this before ….the doctor said he was OK but I insisted he call the senior registrar. He refused so in the end I did.’ MSc Nursing student

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Potentially 3 key areas: A component of supervision Developing transferable skills Identifying research questions

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Description-What happened? Skills in observation, description and interpretation Clearly identifying the issue

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Feelings-What were you thinking and feeling? Developing skills of interpretation and separating the objective from the subjective Recognising the importance of reflexivity

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Analysis-What sense can you make of the situation? Critical appraisal. Searching and using the literature Selection, evaluation and application of appropriate theories

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Conclusion-What else could you have done? The generation of research questions Identification of research approaches

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Reflective practice as a strategy for developing research skills Action Plan-If it arose again what would you do? Reflective practice closely linked to action/practitioner research

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Conclusion We cannot assume that learners understand what we mean by reflection Organised guidance can enhance the reflective process for learners Reflection on practice (or critical reflection) can lead to transformative learning and the challenging of assumptions underpinning beliefs, feelings and actions. This can (and does) lead to research ideas to inform the theoretical knowledge base of the discipline by exploring relevant practice issues and, importantly, helping to make professional tacit knowledge explicit.

Excellence in Teaching and Learning 2nd June 2009 Seeking to inquire: the interplay of reflection, learning and research Dr Pauline Griffiths, Senior Lecturer SHS Dr Fiona Murphy, Senior Lecturer, SHS