ORGANIZATION OF STUDENTS REFLECTIVE ACTIVITY AT THE MICROBIOLOGY, VIRUSOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Abstract

At present the development of critical thinking is crucial for individuals who are eager to get involved into productive interaction with the outside world, who are able to assess their own achievements objectively throughout the learning process, to analyze ways resulting in successes or fails, set purposes for self-improvement and self-development. There is a growing literature in medical education suggesting that reflection improves learning and performance in essential competencies to a growing literature in medical education suggesting that reflection improves learning and performance in essential competencies. Therefore fostering students’ reflective thinking is an important component of the educational process. The purpose of this study is to provide the grounds for organizing reflective activities for the future healthcare professionals in the context of their professional training. The experiment included 90 second-year students of Dentistry Faculty divided into two groups: test group involved 50 respondents and control group comprised 40 students. The method of studying reflexive abilities was based on applying teachers’ assessment and students’ self-assessment of students’ educational and cognitive activities including the following structural components: awareness of the learning outcomes and whether the outcomes are consisted with intended goals, self-analysis and self-assessment of individual activities and activities during team working. Each component was evaluated by five-score scale. Teachers also used the method of reflexive polylogue. The probability of the difference between the groups was determined by Student's t test. Designing of effective reflection requires time, effort and willingness; such activity should not feel like busy work or an add-on activity. The article elucidates the ways and principles of organization of reflective activity for future doctors. We offered some types of exercises aimed at developing the reflective skills for further professional work. We also detailed methodological recommendations and technoques on the organization of reflective activity for the dental students. The study has demonstrated that the highest level of reflexive skills in students corresponded to 3.4±0.7 scores that are quit sufficient for productive learning. It is through reflection the methods and results of own learning outomes are analyzed and assessed. Reflection is a skill, which requires development and can be applied broadly in medical education.