ABSTRACT An implementation of the journal club model to develop confidence in academic skills across speaking, writing and integrity domains, as well as socialising journal club members to academia, is reported. A journal club was established in a Foundation Year (Pre-undergraduate) context for ten physical scientists. A mixed-methods approach was used to measure self-reported confidence upon entering the university, contrasted after attending three, one-hour, journal club meetings, where contemporary literature across diverse subjects was discussed through the lens of ‘academic themes’ to scaffold discussions and support specific skill development. Self-reported confidence was captured through questionnaires and unpacked through semi-structured interviews, the themes of which were generated through qualitative reflexive analysis. Increased confidence in academic speaking was a notable result; interviewed journal club members valued the opportunity to present in small, regular, and informal meetings where discussions were appreciated between members. Exposure to subject domains outside of physical sciences where members were confronted with topics for which there is no clear answer, was uncovered as the impetus to disrupt members’ thinking, facilitated by the conversational medium of the journal club. The implementation reported here likely represents the scenario many professionals will find themselves in when considering establishing a journal club.
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