Critical Reflective Practice Research Articles

Preparing the Future Public Health Workforce: Fostering Global Citizenship Through the Relational Employability Framework—Insights from Two Case Studies

A well-prepared public health workforce is essential for reducing disease burdens and improving population health, necessitating an education that addresses global and complex challenges. This paper explores the integration of the Relational Employability Framework in public health education as a tool to foster critical reflection and cultivate global citizenship among students and graduates. Global citizenship encompasses the social, political, environmental and economic actions of globally conscious individuals and communities, recognising that individuals operate within diverse local and global networks. Relational employability expands traditional notions of graduate employability, incorporating not only foundational career development and human interactions but also connections with more-than-human elements, including ecologies, technologies and materials. Our research, conducted at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, involved two case studies using qualitative interviews. Case Study 1, drawn from the Cook’s doctoral research, explored student experiences with the Relational Employability Framework within an undergraduate capstone unit. Case Study 2, a school-funded project, gathered graduate perspectives to inform ongoing curriculum development. The findings indicate that the Relational Employability Framework can help support the development of global citizenship through critical reflective practice, as students reported improved ability to engage with diverse perspectives and societal challenges, and graduates highlighted the framework’s role in supporting ethical, evidence-based practice in professional contexts. Additionally, the framework supported the development of a reflective mindset, which graduates said helped them make informed, value-based career decisions, thus advancing their professional growth. This study suggests that adopting a relational employability approach can prepare globally competent and reflective public health professionals and recommends its implementation across health and higher education.

Troubles and Sweets: Reflecting Critically on Historical Offerings for Contemporary Issues

Implementing critical reflective practice, an art education professor details the design of a preservice undergraduate-level learning module to address troubling anti-trans legislation in their state. While centering contemporary art featuring a historically significant local hero, a drag queen by the name of Sweet Evening Breeze, and resisting a didactic or progress narrative, the author reflects on power dynamics, centering joy, and the importance of partnerships in art teacher preparation.

Keep quiet or act? Challenges in integrating ethical theory into gerontological nursing care during students’ first clinical rotation: A discussion paper

AimThe aim of the paper is twofold: 1. To present observations based on first-year nursing students’ narratives during clinical rotation in gerontological nursing care; and 2. Explore a nursing educator’s reflections on these observations in relation to the didactic and ethical challenges that occurred. BackgroundThe teaching of ethics is included in nurse education worldwide. Students are in their first clinical placement in residential care of older persons confronted with the moral complexities of gerontological care, where they get little possibility to share emotions and thoughts about ethically challenging nursing situations with a supervising registered nurse. DesignA critical discussion paper. MethodThe educator’s reflections in this discussion paper are based on a narrative assignment in ethics where first-year nursing students reflect on and describe a nursing situation during their clinical rotation in the residential care of older persons. ResultsMost students were acting as mere spectators in the described nursing situation where an older person, ethical standards, or evidence-based care was violated. Some students acted as advocates to the older person and intervened in the situation and a few as inspirers showing alternative ways of handling ethically challenging situations. ConclusionsEducators in nursing programs at the undergraduate level require time for student-centered formative guidance to foster moral courage and practice. During first-year students’ clinical rotation, the learning goals in long-term residential care of older persons are focused on evidence-based basic nursing care. In this, students are confronted with ethically challenging situations, where the possibility to learn from a critical reflective practice is rare. When observing situations where an older person is subjected to unethical or unsafe nursing care it is common that the students take the spectators’ role, not knowing how to deal with what is observed. Some students are taking an intervening role by trying to alleviate the vulnerability of the older person. A few are showing moral courage by directly intervening when experiencing unethical or unsafe nursing care or conduct. In this the student can inspire fellow students or staff during their clinical rotation in alternative ways of handling ethically challenging situations. As older persons are the largest demographic group that nurses will experience, educators need a sound knowledge of ethics as well as gerontological care to be able to meet and nurture students’ ethical reflections during clinical practice and to foster practical wisdom in nursing.

From reflective practice to critical reflective practice on the block

From reflective practice to critical reflective practice on the block

Reading Black Theology of Liberation in the African American Christian Experience of the 1900s–2000s

ABSTRACT Like other forms of theology, Black Theology emerges out of the critical thinking, reflection, and Christian practices of African American people. Theology is generally developed out of Christian people's experiences at different times. Since theology is not mentioned in the Bible, people would continue to formulate theologies using scripture to answer their theological questions. This article discusses African Americans’ questions, thinking, and reflection through their Christian experience and a few responses to Black Theology in the United States. Since the emergence of Black Theology, there have been questions and criticism raised by European theologians. This article reflects on a few of those questions to further examine the context and purpose of Black Theology.

(Re)situating Professionalism: Using Course Documents As Tactical Tools in the Professional Writing Classroom

ABSTRACT Through an auto-ethnographic critical reflection methodology, this article describes our attempts to use course documents as tactical tools of resistance within undergraduate professional writing courses. Using introspection to examine how our positionalities and values shape the choices we make when constructing course documents, we advocate for scholars and practitioners of rhetoric and technical communication to engage in a sustained practice of critical reflection as part of developing inclusive and equitable pedagogy and classroom coalition building.

Preliminary Criteria For Ict in Assisting Students With Psychological Problems

A rising quantity of research designates that adolescents’ and students’ psychological problems pose a risk to them and society. Research indicates that students frequently utilize Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services to get informed about mental health, and to resolve their psychological problems. A critical and reflective analysis of the scientific literature, and a critical examination and reflective synthesis, theories, and practice on the use of ICTs and digital media for the treatment of psychological problems have been employed in this study. The study identifies gaps in research theory and practice regarding the use of ICTs and digital services for the prevention and treatment of mental health issues among adolescents and the student population. The article proposes ten preliminary criteria for ICT use in the treatment of psychological problems as a direction for further research.

Exploring Innovative Approaches for Quality Enhancement in Teacher Education: A Systematic Review

Teacher education plays a crucial role in shaping the quality of education imparted to learners. As education systems evolve to meet the demands of the 21st century, there is a pressing need to explore innovative approaches for enhancing the quality of teacher education programs. This systematic review aims to examine various innovative strategies employed globally to enhance the quality of teacher education. The review encompasses a comprehensive search of scholarly databases, including PubMed, ERIC, and Google Scholar, using keywords such as "teacher education," "quality enhancement," and "innovative approaches." Articles published between 2010 and 2023 were considered for inclusion, with a focus on empirical studies and systematic reviews. Key themes identified through the review include the integration of technology in teacher education, alternative pedagogical approaches, mentorship programs, and collaborative learning environments. The integration of technology, such as virtual reality simulations and online learning platforms, has shown promise in providing immersive learning experiences for pre-service and in-service teachers. Similarly, alternative pedagogical approaches, such as flipped classrooms and problem-based learning, have been found to foster critical thinking and reflective practices among teacher candidates. Furthermore, mentorship programs, both formal and informal, have emerged as effective mechanisms for providing ongoing support and guidance to novice teachers, facilitating their professional growth and development. Collaborative learning environments, encompassing communities of practice and peer learning networks, have also been instrumental in promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing among educators. This review underscores the importance of ongoing innovation in teacher education to address the evolving needs of educators and learners in the digital age. By leveraging technology, alternative pedagogies, mentorship, and collaborative learning, teacher education programs can cultivate a cadre of competent and adaptive educators equipped to meet the diverse challenges of contemporary education.

Reflecting in/on social professions: the critical potential of rhetorical reflexivity

ABSTRACT This paper explores the critical potential of rhetorical studies to inform a concept of reflexivity for social professions. In response to an increasing turn towards technical notions of professional identity across social professions, a renewed critical emphasis on reflective practice, critical reflection, and reflexivity positions professional practice as inevitably an interpretive and discursive endeavor. Despite the growing attention to professional discourse in the current reflection-debate in the social sciences, thus far there has not been a comprehensive exploration of how rhetorical studies can deepen our understanding of reflexivity and can stimulate reflexive attitudes in social professions. Building on conceptual and empirical research in the domain of ‘new rhetorical studies’ as well as on my own research, I examine the various methodological and pedagogical tools rhetoric offers to encourage students to reflect on the interpretive and discursive dimensions of their practice and discipline in critical and productive ways. I argue that a strengthened intersection between rhetorical studies and social sciences can add to the knowledge base on critical and reflexive professional attitudes by deepening our understanding of human interaction in the social world and of how knowledge about this social world can be reflexively produced and mediated.

Beyond a commitment of teaching critical reflection: a scoping review of social work education literature

ABSTRACT There has been a commitment to critical reflection research, theory, education, and practice development in social work in the last 15 years, yet less is known about how we effectively teach and assess critical reflection with students in a neo-liberal context. Following the Joanna Briggs framework for scoping reviews, 50 social work education articles from the last 15 years were identified and thematically analyzed, to explore the current knowledge on teaching and assessing critical reflection. This scoping review was co-designed and undertaken by two social work academics and two social work students. Diverse teaching strategies employed within the classroom, field education, and on-line learning spaces and individual written pieces dominated assessment were identified. The voice of social work educators, however, were centered. The results raise questions about the impact of power not only within the educator-student relationship, but also who is conducting the research. The findings point to the importance of social work educators’ role modeling critical reflection, tailoring teaching strategies to respond to students’ learning preferences, and ethical considerations regarding assessment. We consider challenges resulting from neo-liberal pressures within universities and present reflective questions for educators to consider the needs of students and do justice to critical reflection education.

Developmental social work training programmes in the Global South: A scoping review

In moving away from South Africa’s colonial past, social work training needs to embrace indigenised content and empower social workers to move towards practising from a developmental social work perspective. This requires a paradigm shift towards developmental social work training in South Africa. This study was conducted to look at the characteristics and challenges of developmental social work training in the Global South in order for South African social work training institutions to learn from the data and implement more an effective developmental social work training programme. The study was conducted through a scoping review. The five-step scoping review methodology was used to investigate and select recent literature on developmental social work training in the Global South. A thematic analysis was then used to scrutinise selected articles to extract core conclusions and recommendations made by authors to answer research questions. In addition to answering the research question about the characteristics and challenges to teaching developmental social work in the Global South, six main themes that should be highlighted when teaching developmental social work in the Global South were identified and are discussed in the article. These themes are critical thinking and reflective practice; political social work; field placement programmes; indigenisation; de-colonisation and historical context; economic development and empowerment and theoretical course content. For social work to stay relevant in the Global South, it is important for governments to provide universities with resources to enable them to implement effective developmental social work training.

A Behavioural Intention Analysis of Kurdish Teachers’ Perspectives on Play-Based Learning in Kindergarten Schools during COVID-19

COVID-19 presents a completely new educational setting requiring teachers and students to adapt psychologically, emotionally, and physically. In kindergarten schools, this impacted teachers’ perspectives and intentions to implement play-based learning. Through a mixed approach involving 216 teacher responses and seven face-to-face interviews with school administrators, the study examines Kurdish teachers’ views on play-based learning in kindergarten schools. According to the findings, teachers’ perspectives on students’ trust in their peers, instructional leadership, and self-efficacy positively influence their behavioural intentions to implement play at kindergarten. A crucial finding of the study is validation of the positive moderating effects of teachers’ self-efficacy perspectives of students’ trust in their peers on the interactive connection between instructional leadership and play-based learning. Using classroom-based PBL, we describe play as a means of educational learning, play as a means of emotional and social development, and play as an integral aspect of learning. In the context of education changes caused by the pandemic, the findings underscore the importance of teachers assuming a leading role under learning and teaching circumstances, an enabling role in fostering associations among students and an afforded role when focusing on learning processes. Consequently, the possibilities of developing teachers’ critical feedback and reflective practices on their teaching methods are conceivable. Based on these findings, teacher education programs should emphasize theoretical understanding of play and learning as well as modelling playful teaching and play within the classroom to develop teachers’ psychological and pedagogical thinking.

Journal Club: An Innovative Teaching Practice to Foster Peer Connection and Enhance Information Literacy Skills

This project aimed to better understand the impact and student experience of an innovative teaching strategy focused on information literacy (IL) for first-year undergraduate nursing students. Information literacy (IL) involves the development of a set of abilities essential for higher education learners, such as the ability to identify, critically evaluate, understand, and apply scholarly literature (ACRL 2013), yet studies often demonstrate that these IL skills are lacking and need further development (Bury 2016; Saunders 2012). Traditional methods of addressing this need center around stand-alone librarian-led IL sessions, which cannot provide the time or space needed to develop critical reading and reflection practices. Within our context of nursing, this is a common challenge; one study found that 40% of second-year nursing students have difficulty reading journal articles (Chaudoir et al. 2016), despite IL being an essential skill for nursing practice (Mitchell and Pereira-Edwards 2022). In an attempt to address learner needs, a course instructor and librarian teamed up. Journal clubs, used in practice settings to maintain currency and promote EBP behavior (Wilson et al. 2015), have been used successfully in other health education contexts (Steenbeek et al. 2009; Szucs et al. 2017; Thompson 2006). This application is referred to as evidence-based practice (EBP) and is an essential component of nursing practice. Having activities for undergraduate nursing students that instill EBP aims to ensure that it will be incorporated into practice after graduation (Mitchell and Pereira-Edwards 2022). Instead of the traditional librarian-led IL sessions, a first-year nursing course was redesigned to utilize a guided journal club approach to enhance the ability to seek, read, and interpret journal literature. Journal club activities took place over eight weeks, alternating guided activities with brief IL lessons, and culminated in a group journal club assignment. Students were placed in small groups based on an area of practice they wanted to learn more about. Activities were scaffolded starting with introducing a research database and basic literature searching strategies. As students progressed through the term’s journal club activities, they were asked to find articles related aligned with course topics and their area of practice, critique and present their articles to their group members, and then apply their interpretations. A survey was used to measure the impact of journal club on student IL self-efficacy, as measured through the validated Information Literacy Self-Efficacy Scale (ILSES) developed by Kurbanoglu et al. (2006). Initial findings support journal club as an effective modality to enhance students’ self-efficacy in specific areas of IL. Additionally, other valuable outcomes of this strategy were discovered. For example, students reported becoming more comfortable collaborating with peers and anecdotal reports showed students developed friendships with peers. This scaffolded journal club approach to discipline-specific IL learning would translate well to other contexts, particularly those that require a significant grounding in reading and understanding disciplinary research. The journal club activities are available at: https://tinyurl.com/JournalClubPosterISSOTL2022, or by contacting the authors. Click here to read the corresponding ISSOTL blog post.

Critical food systems education in university student-run food initiatives: learning opportunities for food systems transformation

IntroductionStudent-run Campus Food Systems Alternatives (CFSA) have been proposed as spaces which have the potential to advance Critical Food Systems Education (CFSE) – the objective of which is to motivate students to act toward radical food systems transformation on community and systemic levels. Evidence on how learning dynamics in CFSA drive student participants to develop critical perspectives on food systems is limited, however. This paper seeks to address this gap by exploring how critical and transformative learning happens in these informal and student-run spaces, by detailing a multi-case study of students’ learning experiences in four student-run CFSA on the McGill University campus.MethodsData on students’ learning experiences was collected through observational field notes of CFSA activities and semi-structured Interviews with student facilitators. Thematic and cross-case analysis was performed with interview data.ResultsAnalysis of students’ described learning experiences in CFSA revealed three broad categories of learning dynamics which drive students’ learning about food systems and their willingness to act for food systems change: hands-on work in informal spaces, social connection and engagement between student participants, and engagement with the beyond-campus community.DiscussionEngagement with the beyond-campus community via CFSA, particularly that which involved exposure to food-related injustice in marginalized communities, was found to be particularly important in driving student participants’ critical reflection on food systems and willingness to act toward food justice. A lack of intentional critical reflective practice was however observed in CFSA, calling into question how this practice can be driven in campus food initiatives without compromising their student-run and informal structures.

Book Review: Critical Reflection, Spirituality and Professional Practice

Book Review: Critical Reflection, Spirituality and Professional Practice

Enhancing critical reflective practice in science education through a STEAM approach

This article aimed to explore teachers’ beliefs on reflective practice in their professional life and envision perspectives for transforming their practice. I used auto/ethnography as a research methodology for critically reflecting on the self and others’ lived experiences of teaching science, mathematics, and technology in the context of Nepal. I explored that reflective practice is required for understanding and transforming our deep-seated dominant cultural practices. On becoming a critically reflective practitioners, we can incorporate a trans-disciplinary STEAM approach while designing and implementing a curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment system that helps understand learners’ sociocultural backgrounds, beliefs, values, assumptions, and feelings for authentic, inclusive, and meaningful learning.

Writing for reflection: Radiography students' experiences with reflective journaling

IntroductionReflective journaling is a widely recognised method of engaging in reflective practice, whereby individuals document their critical analysis of past experiences or actions, focusing on the implications and lessons learned for future application. In radiography and other healthcare professions, reflective practice is considered essential for professional development and should be cultivated during training. This study aimed to explore the experiences of senior radiography students in utilising the reflective journal as a clinical learning tool. MethodsThis study employed a phenomenological research design, with the study participants being third and fourth-year radiography students. Data collection took place after the introduction of reflective journaling, with nineteen participants having utilised the reflective journal daily, for a minimum of eight months. Individual interviews were conducted after obtaining the participants' consent. The collected data were analysed using Atlas. ti (version 9.3), guided by the content analysis framework. ResultsThe study revealed that participants experienced adaptation, characterised by reflective adaptation and process adaptation when utilising the reflective journal. Participants also encountered reflective barriers, including personal expression bias, inconsistent feedback, rumination overload, and impulsive practice dominance. ConclusionThe findings demonstrate the benefits of reflective journaling in promoting critical thinking and reflective practice among radiography students. It is therefore recommended that this practice be fully embraced as a standard clinical component. Additionally, the frequency of reflections should be reviewed to ensure effectiveness and consistent feedback should be provided to enhance skills development. Implications for practiceThe findings contribute further evidence to support the incorporation of reflective journaling in clinical training to promote critical thinking and reflective practice.

Sustaining an Aboriginal wellbeing program: Informing health promotion practice and policy.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' holistic concepts of wellbeing are inadequately represented in the health promotion discourse. The aim of this article was to explore what sustains an Aboriginal wellbeing program, to inform critical reflection and reorientation to empower Aboriginal wellbeing approaches in health promotion practice and policy. Aboriginal and non-Indigenous researchers collaboratively designed a critically framed, strengths-based research approach with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service staff and wellbeing program participants. Data from Individual Yarning (n = 15) with program participants and staff inspired co-researchers to co-develop interpretations over two half-day Collaborative Yarning sessions (n = 9). Co-researchers depicted five lifeworld qualities that sustain an Aboriginal wellbeing program: love, connection, respect, culture and belonging. The lifeworld qualities are relational, communicative and involve the dynamics of identity, power and self-determination. The five qualities support a lifeworld approach to an Aboriginal wellbeing program, opening communicative and relational opportunities to mediate culturally responsive interactions. The qualities mediated interactions between people in the lifeworld including program participants and coordinators, and systems representatives including health service providers. A lifeworld approach provides a way to empower Aboriginal self-determination and leadership through embedment of cultural determinants of health in wellbeing programs. SO WHAT?: Health service providers and policy makers can use lifeworld approaches to guide critical reflection and reorient practice and policy related to Aboriginal health. The lifeworld qualities that encompass this approach in wellbeing programs are communicative and relational, centred on local community voices and co-produced with community for Aboriginal identity, empowerment and self-determination.

‘Doing’ reflective practice and understanding spirituality as a way of being: Implications for professional and transformative practice

ABSTRACT This article is based on the keynote lecture which the author gave at the Seventh International Biennial Conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality (INSS) at the South East Technological University (SETU) in Waterford, Ireland, on 16 May 2023. The conference title was Spirituality, Critical Reflection and Professional Practice in an Uncertain World. The article addresses the question of what it means to ‘do’ reflective practice, and what makes reflective practice ‘critical’. It then explores different ways of knowing, drawing on John Heron’s (1996) ‘pyramid of fourfold knowing’, and points to a possible relationship between these ways of knowing, spirituality and professional practice. The article concludes with some thoughts on the transformative potential of understanding spirituality in the context of both reflective and professional practice, and how this relates to the concept of authenticity.

Learning Circles, Underpinned by Dadirri

This short take presents the process of a learning circle, underpinned by Dadirri (Ungunmeer-Baumann 1988). This method was used for the purposes of critical reflective practice and data collection activity with non-Indigenous participants. Dadirri is a First Nations (Australian) term for “deep listening.” The learning circle research occurred with social and welfare workers in a regional health service. We found, through privileging Indigenous knowledges in the activity, that this method can enable a generation of learnings and critical reflection and assist workers to apply theory to practice. This method can also be used as a data collection tool to evaluate these aims.