Critical Self-reflection Research Articles

Expansive learning in the learning assistant model: how instructors’ goals lead to differences in implementation and development of LAs’ practices

BackgroundThe learning assistant (LA) model supports student success in undergraduate science courses; however, variation in outcomes has led to a call for more work investigating how the LA model is implemented. In this research, we used cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) to characterize how three different instructors set up LA-facilitated classrooms and how LAs’ understanding and development of their practices was shaped by the classroom activity. CHAT is a sociocultural framework that provides a structured approach to studying complex activity systems directed toward specific objects. It conceptualizes change within these systems as expansive learning, in which experiencing a contradiction leads to internalization and critical self-reflection, and then externalization and a search for solutions and change.ResultsThrough analyzing two semi-structured retrospective interviews from three professors and eleven LAs, we found that how the LA model was implemented differed based on STEM instructors’ pedagogical practices and goals. Each instructor leveraged LA-facilitated interactions to further learning and tasked LAs with emotionally supporting students to grapple with content and confusions in a safe environment; however, all three had different rules and divisions of labor that were influenced by their perspectives on learning and their objects for the class. For LAs, we found that they had multiple, sometimes conflicting, motives that can be described as either practical, what they described as their day-to-day job, or sense-making, how they made sense of the reason for their work. How these motives were integrated/separated or aligned/misaligned with the collective course object influenced LAs’ learning in practice through either a mechanism of consonance or contradiction. We found that each LA developed unique practices that reciprocally shaped and were shaped by the activity system in which they worked.ConclusionsThis study helps bridge the bodies of research that focus on outcomes from the LA model and LA learning and development by describing how LA learning mechanisms are shaped by their context. We also show that variation in the LA model can be described both by classroom objects and by LAs’ development in dialogue with those objects. This work can be used to start to develop a deeper understanding of how students, instructors, and LAs experience the LA model.

A qualitative exploration of nursing and social work university students’ experiences of sexual and reproductive health and rights education in Australia and Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Nursing and social work professionals often exhibit avoidance or a lack of competence in delivering sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) care to service users. When such care is provided, it tends to be heteronormative and deficit focus. Thus, understanding how university education prepares professionals in the field is essential. This study is the first to qualitatively explore SRHR attitudes, learning experiences and educational needs of nursing and social work students in Australia and Hong Kong. Using focus groups, insights were gathered from 19 nursing and 21 social work students across two Australian and three Hong Kong universities. Thematic analysis of the data revealed that, despite regional and disciplinary differences, students’ SRHR educational needs in both regions and disciplines were not being adequately met. This negatively influenced their practical training and the quality of care provided. The study highlights the need to enhance SRHR knowledge and skills in nursing and social work curricula, thereby improving person-centred care. Recommended curriculum enhancements include promoting diversity and inclusivity, adopting a positive framing of sexuality, enhancing critical self-reflection and communication skills, fostering interprofessional learning, developing educators and mentors as role models, and creating safe and inclusive classroom and placement environments.

De-othering: indigenous perspectives on diversity, equity and inclusion

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share two Indigenous perspectives on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). It is grounded in aspirations for de-othering and de-colonisation. De-othering is the unpicking of the status of “other” bestowed upon us by the dominant culture, and de-colonisation involves the deconstruction of the ways the settler states in which we live have defined and oppressed us. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is a critical self-reflection, drawing on the lived experience of two Indigenous scholars in business fields outside of the international business discipline. Findings The findings explore policies, like affirmative action emerging in the 1960s, to the pantheon of DEI theory and strategies developed, as tools of the dominant culture, albeit well-meaning, that perpetuate the dependency of the “other” on the largesse of the “dominant”, which ultimately maintain relations of oppression. Research limitations/implications The limitations of the paper include, that we cannot speak for all Indigenous peoples. This paper is a personal viewpoint and is not a meta-analysis of theory and literature. The authors draw on the personal, which for Indigenous peoples is also the political, perspectives, that are steeped in their cultural histories and identities, and underpinned by their aspirations for social change and social justice for their peoples. Practical implications The authors offer practical implications for those Indigenous Peoples and allies looking to develop empowering strategies for de-othering individuals and communities defined by dominant cultures as “others”, which in turn has social implications for engagement in truly empowering work in social justice at the borderlands of power, particularly in terms of international business guided by ethics and social responsibility. Social implications In this paper, the authors use the following terms: Maori, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, First Peoples and Indigenous Peoples. They use the term Peoples to denote that they are not one homogenous People but a collective society that consists of many distinct communities, peoples and nations. Originality/value The authors offer practical implications for those Indigenous Peoples and allies looking to develop empowering strategies for de-othering those defined by dominant cultures as “others”, which in turn has social implications for those engaged in truly empowering work for social justice at the borderlands of power, particularly in terms of international business guided by ethics and social responsibility. They make no apologies for this paper, as it is entirely based on personal viewpoints.

Headteachers’ Perspectives and Practices on Transformative Learning in Schools: A Narrative Inquiry

This study aims to explore headteachers’ perspectives and practices on transformative learning in schools for their and teachers' professional growth and effective learning of students. We used narrative inquiry as a research methodology for interpreting headteachers' experiences. The first author interviewed three headteachers leading the secondary level. Collected data were transcribed, coded, categorized, thematized, and interpreted with the help of literature. The research found that headteachers possessed the conceptual ideas for transformative learning and practiced it in their schools. Critical self-reflection, collaborative learning, and experiential learning were some of the techniques used to practice transformative learning in schools. They need to empower teachers more on the curriculum so they plan and design projects in a communicative approach.

Impact of equity-centered training: supporting racialized communities with enhanced education for social workers

ABSTRACT Social workers benefit from increasing their skills and knowledge working with a diverse range of communities and populations, particularly among racialized and marginalized communities. This study evaluates an Ontario-based project on equity-centered training to social workers with a focus on the experiences of adult racialized learners. Data was collected through a convenience sample of participants completing post-training evaluation surveys which measured learner’s satisfaction, learning, and confidence. We delivered 53 trainings to over 3,000 learners and a total of 670 surveys were analyzed. Respondents were approximately 41% racialized, 40% aged 45 and under, 84% female, and 39% with over 15 years of experience. Compared to non-racialized learners, racialized learners reported higher satisfaction with an increased willingness to apply knowledge to practice. In addition, racialized learners reported a higher increase in skills developed and confidence, including interest in specific areas like intergenerational trauma. All learners shared the importance of critical self-reflection and awareness, appreciation for practical strategies, and openness to ongoing learning. It is important to offer equity-centered training to social workers that increase skills and knowledge in developing inclusive mental health services. Professional development can complement formal education in meeting the needs of increasingly diverse communities.

Reflective Diaries as a Tool for Promoting Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

The concept of reflection has become increasingly prevalent in higher education over recent decades, particularly in the domains of teaching and learning. Being a reflective learner means that students can critically evaluate their learning, determine areas of their learning that need further development and make themselves more independent learners. This paper discusses a case study where reflective diaries were used to facilitate and assess both learning and teaching methods. As an assessment method, reflective diaries can assess students’ comprehension of the course content and can also promote critical self-reflection and enhance self-awareness (Biggs, 1999; O’Rourke, 1998). The data were collected through individual interviews and reflective diaries written by undergraduate students at the University of Dhofar. Data analysis indicates that the use of reflective diaries proved beneficial for enhancing both teaching and learning experiences. This is because the process of writing the diaries requires students to reflect on the learning activities that have taken place in class, analyze their own learning and express it in a personal way. Reflective diaries can also enable teachers to evaluate their teaching methods and generate feedback for improving their classroom practices.

A conceptual exploration of researcher positionality and critical reflexivity in disaster research through the lens of Bourdieu

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to deconstruct the current discourse on researcher positionality in disaster research and it aims to enhance disaster researchers’ reflexivity, using Bourdieu’s capital, field and habitus theories.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper relies on secondary literature from empirical and theoretical works and incorporates critical self-reflection from author’s own research experience.FindingsAs Bourdieu would argue, one’s habitus is interactive and responsive to contexts (field and other agents’ habitus and capital), thus reflexivity requires more than the acknowledgement of one’s ascribed and achieved social characteristics. Bourdieu’s theories help disaster researchers enhance their reflexivity and better understand the nature of researcher positionality: contextual, dynamic and negotiated.Originality/valueThis research provides a critical and theoretical discussion of researcher positionality in disaster research. Drawing from Bourdieu’s theories, researcher positionality can be framed in relation to not only researcher’s structurally differentiated insider–outsider status but also how interactions with the research participants and contexts in which the research is conducted influence that positionality.

Critical Self-reflection on Racism by Hospital Physicians in Large German Cities. A Qualitative Reconstructive Study Using Episodic Interviews.

Racism permeates healthcare institutions and interpersonal interactions, impacting both staff and patients. The role of doctors, given their influential position in the healthcare system, is particularly crucial in this context. Despite this, there is a scarcity of evidence regarding the manifestation of racism among healthcare professionals in Germany. Critical whiteness studies emphasize the importance of white* individuals engaging in critical self-reflection to mitigate racism. This study aimed to explore the attitudes of white* physicians in hospitals in major German cities towards racism and their critical reflection on personal attitudes and actions concerning racism in interactions with staff members and patients. Data was collected through six episodic interviews with physicians, analyzed using the reconstructive qualitative procedure of the documentary method, leading to a sense-genetic typology. The sense-genetic typology revealed three distinct attitudes towards racism: acknowledging, individualistic, and ignoring. Four types emerged concerning the self-reflection of white doctors: self-critical, socially critical, worried, and defensive. The most promising potential for interventions to reduce racism lies within the self-critical and socially critical types, both demonstrating an acknowledging attitude. Conversely, the worrying and defensive types may present challenges in deconstruction. This suggests that interventions aimed at reducing racism should be tailored and implemented with a nuanced approach.

From Perspectival Myopia to Professional Transformation: An Autoethnographic Retrospection of a High School Principal from Nepal

ABSTRACT This paper presents a re-storied account of my (lead author) decade-long (2007–2017) professional journey as a high school principal in diverse educational settings in Nepal. Using an autoethnographic approach, I have theorized my leadership transformation approaches through professional storytelling, employing critical reflexivity to trace intimate leadership experiences where authoritarian approaches to leadership, disparities, and inequalities in schools run rampant. My perspectival myopia, professional vulnerabilities, and the discrepancies between my leadership ideals and behaviors resulted in issues such as perceptions of disengagement, underperformance, and dissatisfaction on the receiving end, prompting me to contemplate professional transformation. While outlining several significant steps and missteps in transforming my actional and cognitive behaviors, this paper explores my evolution toward a more reflective, democratic, ethical, equitable, and participative conceptualization of educational leadership and underscores the transformative potential of personal-professional development through adaptable perspectives and critical self-reflection, offering valuable insights for educational leaders globally.

Epistemic fluency in virtual laboratories as flipped classroom’s innovative learning delivery

PurposeDesign an innovative Flipped classroom’s Delivery through virtual laboratory.Design/methodology/approachThe fundamental framework of the present investigation is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) design. By merging the impetus of “action.” with the inclusiveness of “participation,” PAR establishes a “network” for collaborative teaching or research. PAR is pertinent to our research because it facilitates the participation of infrastructures and individuals in formulating a critical community. This community encourages critical self-reflection, promotes accountability, redistributes authority, and cultivates confidence in research. PAR fosters constructive transformation in educational environments by utilizing participants' combined insights and experiences to establish a structure for substantive dialogue and proactive measures.FindingsAs virtual laboratories are becoming essential in 21st-century science education, we found groundbreaking evidence that can support our novel approach to enhance the quality and equity in education. Our results show that virtual labs engage scientific goals and practices, develop scientific literacy, foster scientific inquiry and problem-solving, and promote metacognition. The effects of the virtual laboratory can develop high self-efficacy and positive attitudes among students. It improves students' laboratory performance, which we noted from laboratory activities, simulations, and long exam results.Originality/valueThe study offers groundbreaking account to depict epistemic fluency aided by virtual laboratory.

EVALUATING THE QUALITY OF STUDENT REFLECTIONS IN PEACE EDUCATION CLASSROOM TAUGHT WITH PEDAGOGY OF DISCOMFORT

This study aimed to explore the depth and/or quality level of the students’ responses when they responded critically in their written reflections in a peace education classroom that incorporated a pedagogy of discomfort. In this empirical study, featuring reflections from 43 undergraduate students in Sialkot, Pakistan, the authors seek to understand how reflections-based pedagogical methods that affect critical thinking ability, self-awareness, cultural sensitivity and understanding of society issues. Thus, the study uses qualitative methods to assess students’ critical reflections from provocation pedagogy experience. Overall, students showed greater critical thinking and self-reflection as their perception of distinct identity were questioned. Nevertheless, the level of depth and sophistication in reflections differed across students. However, the study points to how a pedagogy of discomfort can arguably result in meaningful responses for engaging with issues such as those related above. In this regard, some discussion is presented upon the barriers & limitations to implementing these approaches. The findings add to an important dialogue around what works in peace education activities globally.

Editorial: Building a model for dispersed openness

This Editorial explores the contribution an academic journal can make to critically engaged scholarship through critical self-reflection and innovation. Community-university engaged research and practice, no longer as marginalised as it once was, remains nonetheless institutionally precarious and the literature dominated by voices from the Global North. For this journal, with its stated aim of increasing the diversity of contributors to the scholarly literature, there is both a responsibility and an opportunity to innovate. This Editorial discusses two recent examples: writers’ workshops for manuscript development and the newly introduced ‘proposals’ section, where authors can gain early feedback on manuscript ideas.

Hip-Hop Infusion in Social Work Education

Background:2023 marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. Although hip-hop has existed for a half-century, little attention has been given to its infusion into social work education. This conceptual article explores the potential of hip-hop as a framework for social work education.Objective:We aim to demonstrate how core tenets of hip-hop can be aligned with the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) to enhance student learning, client connection, advocacy skills, and empathy.Methods:This conceptual piece draws on existing literature on hip-hop culture and social work education. We explored how various elements of hip hop can be integrated into social work education to achieve the learning objectives outlined in the EPAS.Implications:Integrating hip-hop principles into social work education can have a transformative impact. By fostering critical thinking, self-reflection, and engagement with diverse narratives, students will be better equipped to navigate the complexities of social work practice. Furthermore, a hip-hop-informed approach can cultivate a more culturally responsive lens for advocacy and policy development. This in turn empowers students to build rapport with clients from marginalized communities, utilizing effective communication to promote social change.Conclusion:Hip-hop offers a powerful set of tools for social work education. Integrating its principles can cultivate a new generation of social workers with the knowledge, skills, and cultural competency to address the complex challenges facing individuals, families, and communities.

Dungeons & Dragons in the Literature Classroom

“The Ballad of Proxima-B” is an educational RPG that promotes learning and collaboration. Students contribute to world-building and game mechanics, creating fictional worlds and characters, including a dystopian Earth, the planet Proxima-B, and alien races. The game incorporates constructivist, constructionist, and Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) principles. The hands-on and collaborative nature facilitates learning, reflection, and a strong classroom community. During gameplay, characters form alliances, encouraging students to reflect on their interactions. Design challenges include workload balance and addressing student anxiety. Game elements emphasize critical thinking and self-reflection, foster collaboration and community, and encourage exploring identity through serious play.

What is ideal EDI learning for academic librarians? Discovering EDI learning stories through appreciative inquiry

Academic libraries across North America purport to be prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), but investigations into how librarians learn about EDI are lacking. In this study, we interviewed 21 academic librarians in Canada about their EDI learning journeys using the strengths-based appreciative inquiry approach. This paper focuses on the question, “What shapes ideal learning experiences related to EDI for academic librarians?” In uncovering librarians' stories of learning transformations, we found that EDI learning often elicits discomfort; it involves recognizing one's biases, being vulnerable, and making mistakes. However, these learning stories can motivate and inspire others to learn and engage in critical self-reflection through questioning assumptions and underlying beliefs. EDI learning in professional contexts was inextricably linked to learning in informal and personal contexts, and positionality is essential to how learning is shaped. Learning was described to be ideal in low-pressure, authentic, brave environments that facilitated meaningful conversations, with institutional support. However, there seemed to be a disconnect between one's learning and one's ability to effect change.

Settler teachers’ engagement with first nations content in the Australian curriculum

ABSTRACT Situated in the curriculum space created by the recent enhancements to First Nations content is the opportunity for teachers to better connect with First Nations perspectives. Using constructivist theory methodology and drawing on two studies, a small qualitative school-based study of teachers who teach in the early years of schooling, and a large-scale study of professional development across two Australian states, the paper explores teachers’ preparedness to teach First Nations content. The tenets of critical literacy frame the discussion and are positioned as reflective tools that can be used to support the ‘settler teacher’ in self-reflection. Audio-recorded transcripts of planning sessions, a teacher survey, comments from feedback forms and researcher memos form the data sets. Findings from the study necessitate discursive practices for the development of teacher knowledge, dispositions, and confidence, and highlight the imperative for teacher critical self-reflection.

Teachers as ‘Powerless Elites’: Emotions and Transformative Learning

This research uses narrative analysis to examine the emotional experiences of five schoolteachers, teaching in five different schools in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. The analysis shows the paradoxical perceptions about the (ir)replaceability of the teaching profession in the digital era. Findings include i. the strong mixed feelings experienced by teachers regarding the future of education that is embedded with digitalisation; ii. Meaning-making in teaching lies on the emotional engagement of teachers and quality teacher-student-relationship; iii. intense self-doubts on the roles of teachers in a virtual classroom were experienced in the beginning of the pandemic, but it has transformed into a refined roles upon critical self-reflection. This research investigates the emotionality of teachers in the virtual classroom, transformative learning has been the key to teachers’ refined roles despite society’s increasing reliance on artificial intelligence.

Understanding Mentor's Growth and Identity through Critical Self-Reflection Practice

Mentoring is a way of professional development for educators, teachers, and school leaders. This study aims to discover how mentors conceptualized the value of their practice and its impact on their growth and identity while guiding mentees in teacher-research mentoring activities. This study presents a case study of 4 English educators as mentors to gather a rich depiction of their mentoring phases. Understanding the mentors' pedagogy could help in understanding more about the process of their competence-building. Moreover, this process influences the process of their learning and impacts their identity. The data were obtained through critical self-reflection journals, mentoring conversations, and online focus group interviews. A model based on Mezirow's critical self-reflection practice is used to recognize mentors' growth and identity development. It suggested that three broad mentoring categories exist: self-focused, mentee-focused, and relationship-focused, which support them in achieving mentoring expertise. Moreover, mentors' motive is influenced by the identity development that occurs in the sociocultural environment, demonstrating their values, beliefs, and perspectives. This study's results also suggest that the mentoring program can be the basis for training, deploying expertise and competencies, and boosting personal and professional growth.

Cultivating Multifaceted Writing Abilities in English Major Students: Integrated Practice of Multimedia Scaffolding Instruction and Peer Assessment Mechanism

With the current context of English major education, enhancing the writing abilities of English major students has become a crucial teaching focus. This paper explores a multifaceted approach to cultivating writing abilities, integrating multimedia scaffolding instruction and peer assessment mechanisms. Through multimedia scaffolding instruction, students are able to learn and apply writing strategies in specific contexts, effectively enhancing their writing skills. Simultaneously, the introduction of peer assessment mechanisms aims to foster students critical thinking and self-reflection abilities. Through peer assessment, students can examine their own work from different perspectives, thereby promoting deep learning and understanding. The research findings demonstrate that this integrated practice significantly improves students writing proficiency, enhances their autonomous learning abilities, and fosters a spirit of collaboration. Therefore, this teaching model holds important practical significance and potential for promotion in the cultivation of writing abilities among English major students.

Paclitaxel - a Product of Fungal Secondary Metabolism or an Artefact?

Taxol (common name: paclitaxel) is an extremely important component of drugs for the treatment of various cancers. Thirty years after the discovery of its effectiveness, a metabolic precursor of Taxol (10-deacetylbaccatin III) is still primarily extracted from needles of European yew trees. In order to meet the considerable demand, hopes were pinned on the possibilities of biotechnological production from the very beginning. In 1993, as if by chance, Taxol was supposedly discovered in fungi that grow endobiotically in yew trees. This finding aroused hopes of biotechnological use to produce fungal Taxol in large quantities in fermenters. It never came to that. Instead, a confusing flood of publications emerged that claimed to have detected Taxol in more and more eukaryotic and even prokaryotic species. However, researchers never reproduced these rather puzzling results, and they could certainly not be applied on an industrial scale. This paper will show that some of the misguided approaches were apparently based on a seemingly careless handling of sparse evidence and on at least questionable publications. Apparently, the desired gold rush of commercial exploitation was seductive. Scientific skepticism as an indispensable core of good scientific practice was often neglected, and the peer review process has not exerted its corrective effect. Self-critical reflection and more healthy skepticism could help to reduce the risk of such aberrations in drug development. This article uses this case study as a striking example to show what can be learned from the Taxol case in terms of research ethics and the avoidance of questionable research practices.