Reflection on developing an undergraduate course: the value of an action research approach

Abstract

Busy practitioners may not always act on their critical reflection though critical reflection is key to improving practice. This paper presents action research (AR) as a tool that could help to translate reflection into action which can aid improvement of practice. To critically discuss the development of a medical education course to illustrate the use of AR in enabling reflection on action and improvement to practice in complex educational environments. Developmental evaluation cycles were employed in designing and integrating a cultural diversity course for student doctors. Iterative cycles of evaluation on the cultural diversity course resulted in: (1) increased student centred activities in the course; (2) recognition and attempts to improve student reflective ability around cultural competency issues; (3) opportunity to monitor own teaching practice and; (4) improvement in practice. However, the model described here fell short of a true AR approach because of limited involvement of stakeholders in all stages of the process. Future research should investigate AR as a tool for educational change management, postgraduate learning and portfolio documentation.