Submission ID 76576
| Code | OH-4-2 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Graduate Student |
| Title | Focus Groups as A Method for Critical Reflection |
| Background/Purpose | Medical education requires professionals to be engaged in reflection on learning and practices. Critical reflection involves acknowledging experiences and recognizing different actions are possible. My research used focus groups with students who were asked about their experiences in medical education. The focus groups enable participants to explore, explain and reflect on their experiences. |
| Methods | This research was a longitudinal critical ethnography exploring professionalism in pre-clinical medical students. Data collection included participant observation and focus groups. Student focus groups were conducted over a two-year period, meeting approximately every six weeks. In total 52 student focus groups were done. |
| Results | Focus groups acted as a forum for critical reflection where students talked about their significant experiences. The students reported that sharing their experiences helped them to adjust to their learning environment. Students shared experiences with peers within the safe environment of the focus groups. The students spoke about unprofessional behaviours they observed. They were unknowingly critically reflecting on their experiences. Learning was extended as students verbally supported their peers and criticized offending students and physicians. |
| Discussion | The focus groups acted as small learning groups or communities of practice. These are formed when groups of people, such as students and faculty, learn from each other. In these groups, the students can reflect on their emergence as a professional, the culture of medicine, and the learning environment in which they are being encultured. Thus, the research method itself led to a recommendation for the use of focus group reflections as a novel approach to teaching and learning. |
| Keyword 1 | Focus Groups |
| Keyword 2 | Reflection |
| Keyword 3 | Communities of Practice |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Residency Education
Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Research methods |
| Research methods | Qualitative |
| Authors | Jinelle Ramlackhansingh Fern Brunger |
