Reflective Essay Research Articles

Enhancing Trust and Embracing Vulnerability in the College Classroom: A Reflection on Ungrading and Co-Creation in Teaching and Learning

In this reflective essay, we explore how we and our students experienced trust and opened ourselves up to being vulnerable in two iterations of a course that was built on the pedagogies of ungrading and co-creation in teaching and learning (CCTL). As approaches that fall under the broader umbrella of critical pedagogy, ungrading usually involves an alternative to conventional alphanumeric grading systems, while co-creation in teaching and learning consists of a varied scale of student-and-instructor partnerships in the classroom. The course contexts explored here take ungrading to mean student self-assessment and self-assignment of grades, and our implementation of co-creation focused on significant elements of the course such as expectations, content, assignments, and assessments. We suggest that our combination of these pedagogies exposed the significance of vulnerability to nurturing trust in the college classroom. After an overview of the salient points in the literature on these pedagogies and a discussion of trust and vulnerability, we recollect our own experiences of them in a co-taught second-year honors course. Drawing from our reflections and those expressed in student writing, we observe that we brought a significant level of trust in each other and our students to the course. Further, we note that the processes of sharing authority embedded in both pedagogies significantly deepened that trust while also underscoring, in retrospect, the remarkable degree of vulnerability made accessible to students and instructors alike. Instructors who wish to implement these approaches should be keenly aware of the additional opportunities that trust and vulnerability, as made possible via these pedagogies, offer for building relationships in the classroom and working toward increased inclusivity and equity in the course community.

Exploring the intercultural potential of picturebooks in early secondary EFL classrooms in Austria

Abstract Intercultural education has constituted an interdisciplinary teaching principle in Austrian upper and lower secondary curricula since 1992 and was reinforced by a decree in 2017. Literary texts have been identified as promising resources and valuable tools for initiating intercultural learning through their frequently inherent multi-perspectivity encouraging students to empathize with characters, consider different perspectives, contrast viewpoints, relate stories to personal experiences, and reflect on diverse ideas. However, research on the implementation of intercultural teaching and learning using literature in foreign language classrooms has so far mostly focused on upper secondary education and has frequently related to using postcolonial fiction writings. To counter the knowledge gap on the implementation of intercultural learning in lower educational levels, this study adopts a literary science approach to explore the potential of picturebooks in early secondary EFL classrooms. Using The Little Green Jacket (Dee, 2020), it specifically examines perspective-taking as a key dimension of intercultural learning. Through written learner reflections, the research study assesses whether students in two Austrian EFL classrooms (n = 35) can adopt a different viewpoint. The findings show that most students are successful, or at least partly successful, in perspective-taking and mostly describe emotions of sadness but also hopefulness in their reflective writings. Thus, the study suggests that picturebooks have the potential to facilitate perspective-taking as an essential dimension of intercultural education among young EFL learners with low language proficiency, highlighting their largely untapped potential in early language education.

Creating a safe space: medical students’ perspectives on using actor simulations for learning communication skills

BackgroundCommunication skills are an essential part of clinical competence that need to be acquired during health professions education. Simulations are extensively used for learning communication skills and have long been integral to medical degree programmes. In this research we use qualitative methodology to explore fourth-year medical students’ experiences in simulations aimed at improving versatile doctor-patient communication, focusing on their learning with trained actors.MethodsThe data comprises reflective writings from 208 fourth-year medical students, gathered after a communication skills course. These students provided informed consent for their writings to be included in the research. We performed an inductive qualitative content analysis on the textual data, with findings presented as themes, supported by categories, codes, and excerpts from raw data to enhance the trustworthiness of the analysis.ResultsWe identified eight key themes capturing students’ learning experiences through simulations: practising in a safe learning environment, valuing feedback, gaining new perspectives, finding simulations valuable and enjoyable, boosting confidence and self-knowledge, and viewing simulations as authentic and engaging learning opportunities. Some students offered critical perspectives on simulations. Throughout the course, students learned diverse aspects of patient care, emotional and behavioural communication dynamics, and lessons from medical errors. Some students offered critical perspectives on simulations, and a few indicated they did not learn anything new.ConclusionsA safe learning environment is vital for encouraging learners to explore, make errors, and absorb feedback to improve their communication with patients. Students predominantly valued the communication skills training with actors and the constructive feedback received and given in the debriefing discussions. However, some students expressed critical views toward simulations. Simulations are not static; they evolve and require continual improvements. Hence, we advocate for the ongoing exploration and enhancement of communication skills learning methods, including simulations, with careful consideration for students’ vulnerability and the importance of psychological safety. Additionally, it is critical to address students’ perceptions that certain clinical teachers prioritise biomedical knowledge over communication skills. Providing tailored training for teachers regarding the learning methods and the desired outcomes of communication courses is essential.

Health Professions Students' Reflections About Principles of Interprofessional Collaboration after Shadowing Interprofessional Palliative Care Rounds.

Future healthcare professionals are educated on collaborative practice methods through interventions that may include shadowing. While shadowing allows students to learn from and about other health professions, it often fails to offer an opportunity for the student to work and collaborate with other health professionals. This study sought to investigate themes regarding interprofessional students' experiences during a palliative care shadowing activity and their understanding of collaborative patient-centered care, social determinants of health, and health disparities. Twenty-eight students representing 13 health professions from the Interprofessional Palliative Care program at Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education at Thomas Jefferson University submitted reflection essays at the conclusion of their shadowing experience. Four hundred ninety-eight sentences from 28 essays were analyzed via qualitative directed content analysis. Coding categories were determined a priori using definitions of collaborative practice from the 2023 Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) competencies and definitions of social determinants of health from Healthy People 2030. Thirty-two percent of sentences described IPEC competencies, 18% described social determinants of health/ health disparities, 4% included student emotional reactions, and 2% included student descriptions of the development of their professional role. These results suggest that shadowing offers an opportunity to identify and learn interprofessional competencies in interprofessional palliative care curricula, as made evident through student reflection assignments.

Bringing a Social Justice Lens to Matthews’ Five Propositions for Genuine Students-as-Partners Practice: A Narrative Review

In 2017, in the second issue of the International Journal for Students as Partners (IJSaP), Matthews presented five propositions for genuine students-as-partners practice. Whilst these propositions did not focus directly on social justice, a social justice ethos (seeking to achieve parity of participation for all in higher education) was implicit within the discussion. Working with students as partners (SaP) can contribute to social justice, and a social justice perspective can contribute to the practice and conceptualization of students-as-partners work. From this perspective, I present a narrative literature review that brings a social justice lens to Matthews’ five propositions by examining 26 publications (research articles, case studies, reflective essays, and opinion pieces) in IJSaP concerning students-as-partners work. These are identified using the search terms “justice”, “equity”, “inclusion”, and “ethical”. The review provides clear examples of how the practice of working with students as partners can promote equity and inclusion in higher education, thereby striving toward social justice.

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”

Educational Pathways in Italy: Emanuel’s Perspective—Reflective Essay for the Special Issue: “Community Sponsorship and Complementary Pathways: Global Movements for Resettling Refugees Driven by Local Actors”

Equitable teacher education in a virtual world: the promise of learning-oriented assessment

ABSTRACT This study reports teacher perceptions towards learning-oriented assessment (LOA) in an English language teaching certification course (Kompetanse for Kvalitet, KfK). The course was delivered online during emergency remote teaching caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Equitable practices in instruction and assessment aimed at collaboration, dialogue, group engagement, and active involvement based on LOA practices. Even though using assessment to promote learning has been gaining prominence, applying LOA in online learning has recently gained momentum. Thus, the study reports on how an online implementation of LOA is perceived by participants of a teacher education program concerning their learning. Data collection tools included a questionnaire (n = 132) and randomly sampled reflective writings (n = 23) submitted as part of the learner portfolio. Data were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis and quantitatively on SPSS using descriptive statistics and Factor Analysis with Varimax rotation. Findings indicated that LOA was perceived positively, offering opportunities to improve language and skills, link course content with teaching practice, and reflect on learning. Using LOA in post-COVID times empowered course participants to identify and monitor their progress and skills. The study has implications for teacher educators integrating LOA and technology in professional development to maintain equity and cultivate efficient learning.

Research partnerships as transformational learning experiences

A common partnership between faculty and students in post-secondary education is that of researcher as a primary investigator (PI) and research assistant (RA). In this reflective essay, we examine an unconventional research partnership between Allison, a PI, and Bailey, an RA. Our experiences as PI and RA prompted us to reflect upon our learning partnership. We asked: In what ways might the role of RA be transformative (Mezirow, 1994) in teacher education for both researcher and student when it is approached through partnership? This partnership is unique because of its relational approach, where the PI and the RA collaborated in making decisions about the direction of the RA work. The RA’s perspective offered a different viewpoint on the research focus through which the researcher aimed to gain insights. This approach altered the dynamics of the research partnership, which evolved along the lines of both partners acting as equal contributors and co-learners through the research process. In this paper, we reflect on our consequential learning. Specifically, we focus on the learning that occurred when Bailey self-directed RA work on the topics of radical imagination, restorative justice, and appreciative inquiry, as well as the insights Allison gained through Bailey’s work. We use “I” in our respective sections and “we” and “our” in our collective writing, and we also refer to ourselves in the third person for clarity when needed.

Developing an open and dialogic review of reflective essays

Developing an open and dialogic review of reflective essays

Mixed methods research on reflective writing in teacher education.

In this paper, mixed methods research is presented and discussed in the context of research on reflective writing for the professional development of pre-service teachers. First, we present prominent theoretical frameworks to analyze reflective writings. Second, we review relevant methodological approaches of research on reflective writings in teacher education, such as qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Third, we present a study from our research lab combining qualitative content analysis and linguistic analyses as an example for a concurrent mixed method approach. The results of the qualitative content analysis indicated that 198 reflective writings of pre-service teachers were primarily descriptive and on a low level. Computational linguistic analyses revealed that affective and cognitive terminology utilization in reflective writing differed significantly across the different levels of reflection, with a higher frequency of such terms correlating with deeper levels of reflection. Thus, essential challenges and opportunities of implementing such a mixed method study to analyze reflective writings are illustrated and discussed. Finally, we conclude the paper by discussing on how mixed methods approaches might be further advanced in the field of reflective writing research in teacher education.

“The patient as teacher” - thematic analysis of undergraduate medical students’ experiences with an experiential learning project in palliative care

BackgroundExperiential learning holds high potential for medical students’ education in palliative care. At RWTH Aachen University in Germany, medical students can participate in the course “The Patient as Teacher” offering a one-to-one exchange with a terminally ill patient over a period of several weeks complemented with four supervision sessions and writing of a reflective essay. The course had run from 2005 to 2020 before it was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the course’s value as a palliative care teaching tool by investigating students’ motivation and experiences over the years 2005–2020.MethodsA stratified sample of 24 essays was taken from all submitted essays (n = 78), eight essays from the years 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2020. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of the selected essays was conducted.ResultsThe students felt motivated by the opportunity to gain more experience in palliative care, to improve their communication skills and to decrease insecurities in interaction with terminally ill patients. They learned about the patient’s biography and medical history, and encountered physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of living with a life-limiting disease. Moreover, they experienced relationship building and communication with a terminally ill patient outside their role as future doctors. Ultimately, they considered their participation as a beneficial experience on both a personal and professional level.ConclusionsThe course “The Patient as Teacher” presents a valuable tool for experiential learning in palliative care, which has elicited an unceasingly positive response among the students who participated over the years. It has facilitated medical students in overcoming insecurities in dealing with terminally ill patients and supported them in further developing their professional identity.

Getting it off your soul: transformative conversations for processing traumatic experiences

ABSTRACT Emergency workers are confronted with trauma as an essential part of their work. Learning how to moderate the impact and coping with traumatic experiences is at the center of this study. The researchers empirically chart ways that emergency workers cope with trauma, process and integrate these experiences, and describe what supports their learning. Findings suggest a need to engage in alternative forms of communication, differentiating between professional and emotional feedback in order to foster transformative learning. The study reveals two different, complementary ways to constructively communicate, each with its own architecture: structured debriefs and transformative conversations. Mezirow borrowed from Habermas’s idea of rational discourse in dialogue, some of which is seen in debriefs, wherein emotions are set aside in the intensity of the moment in favor of processing facts and identifying decisions and actions for the future. In transformative conversations, by contrast, emergency workers seek to understand their inner selves and make meaning of their experiences. The research shows that certain conditions for transformative conversations need to be in place in order to work through emotions and unblock cognition by recognizing and working through affect, emotion, and potential vicarious trauma. This qualitative analysis derives from 57 reflective writings collected from paramedics and firefighters.

The Impact of a Study Trip to Auschwitz: Place-based Learning for Bioethics Education and Professional Identity Formation.

There are increasing calls for coverage of medicine during the Holocaust in medical school curricula. This article describes outcomes from a Holocaust and medicine educational program featuring a study trip to Poland, which focused on physician complicity during the Holocaust, as well as moral courage in health professionals who demonstrated various forms of resistance in the ghettos and concentration camps. The trip included tours of key sites in Krakow, Oswiecim, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, as well as meeting with survivors, lectures, reflective writings, and discussions. In-depth interviews and reflective writings were qualitatively analyzed. Resulting themes centered on greater understanding of the relationship between bioethics and the Holocaust, recognizing the need for moral courage and social awareness, deeper appreciation for the historical roles played by dehumanization and medical power and their contemporary manifestations, and the power of presence and experiential learning for bioethics education and professional identity formation. These findings evidence the significant impact of the experience and suggest broader adoption of pedagogies that include place-based and experiential learning coupled with critical reflection can amplify the impact of bioethics and humanism education as well as the process of professional identity formation of medical students.

Using Self-Regulated Learning supported with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots to Develop EFL student teachers' Self-expression and Reflective Writing Skills

Using Self-Regulated Learning supported with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chatbots to Develop EFL student teachers' Self-expression and Reflective Writing Skills

Pearls of Wisdom from Teaching Rounds: Reconceptualizing “See One, Do One” as Social Learning

Abstract Background Experiential education is paramount to clinical instruction in medicine. During teaching rounds, faculty can assess medical knowledge and clinical reasoning while modeling evidence-based patient care and effective communication. This study aimed to describe observed traits common across faculty who contribute to favorable learning environments. Design Students completed an Internal Medicine (IM) Student Chief elective at a midwestern United States Academic Tertiary Care Center in which M4s aided Clerkship leadership in near-peer teaching and communicating with students. Chiefs participated in rounds for experiential learning in clinical teaching. For this qualitative, descriptive study, M4s were asked to provide at least three “pearls of wisdom,” on observations about teaching and learning in reflective essays during two consecutive academic years. Twenty-nine M4s participated in the elective and submitted 238 pearls. The research team undertook document review and qualitatively analyzed content of Chiefs’ reflective essays. Detailed codes were organized into primary and secondary themes by each author, and then re-evaluated until they reached consensus. Through thematic analysis, we identified faculty traits students found conducive to learning. Results Three primary themes emerged: Attributes, Autonomy, and Achieving Engagement. Conclusion Experiential educational encounters are transformative to developing new physicians. Chiefs highlighted positive aspects of teaching rounds described previously including providing clear expectations, promoting goal setting, engagement, and instilling confidence. They also valued humor, recognizing cognitive overload, displaying humility, listening skills, and mentorship. While one attending cannot replicate all described effective techniques simultaneously, faculty development that promotes refining these approaches may improve the clinical learning environment for all learners.

Rewarding interprofessional education: Designing and implementing an IPEP Distinguished Scholars Program

The Interprofessional Education and Practice Distinguished Scholar (IPEP DS) program was developed to reward students who go ‘above and beyond’ required interprofessional education and practice events. IPEP Distinguished Scholars (IPEP DS) must participate in at least two semesters of activities outside of their required IPEP coursework, serve on an interprofessional committee, and complete an interprofessional immersion experience. Following completion of these activities, students compose a reflection essay about their learning and experiences and ultimately receive transcript distinction, cords to wear at graduation, and a Credly™ badge (digital credentialing). This article provides an overview of the design of this program and outcomes for replication at other institutions.

Rapid Response to Professional Development: How Online Teacher Professional Learning Networks Supported Teachers in Pandemic Times

During COVID-19, when teachers rapidly shifted to remote teaching and learning, it became evident that there was an educational crisis—teachers were unprepared for teaching using digital pedagogies. A group of teachers and teacher educators in Trinidad and Tobago, ITTPN Global, responded to the call for emergency professional development in ICT tools with a free workshop series via Zoom. The workshop series served to address teachers’ upskilling in key areas of ICT as digital pedagogy became the pandemic pedagogy. Pandemic pedagogy refers to teaching and learning during COVID-19. Teachers built confidence and competence in using ICT tools and designing online lessons. The professional learning model highlighted in this paper utilized authentic and active learning and teacher agency. This reflective essay examines the transformative possibilities of networks in a crisis with implications for professional teacher learning post pandemic.

The Development of Non-Formal Learning Organization Skills in Preservice Math Teachers

Although the effects of out-of-school learning on students' learning have attracted significant attention among education researchers in science and social sciences, little is known about the development of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers' skills in utilizing out-of-school learning in mathematics lessons. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of activities conducted within the scope of the out-of-school learning environments in mathematics education on pre-service elementary mathematics teachers' skills in organizing non-formal learning. The study utilized a sequential explanatory design, which is a mixed-method approach. The quantitative part of the research employed a "single-group pretest-posttest design without a control group" from experimental designs. This study involved 35 third-year teacher candidates enrolled in the Primary Education in Math Program (PREDMAP) at a state university located near Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The data collection instrument used in the study was the Out-of-School Learning Regulation Scale (OOSLRS). Additionally, teacher candidates were asked to write reflective essays about their thoughts on the program at the end of the study. The analyses revealed that prior to the program, pre-service math teachers had the highest scores in the knowledge dimension and the lowest scores in the implementation dimension of organizing out-of-school learning. Significant differences were found in the pretest scores of preservice math teachers only in the knowledge dimension based on their previous experiences in organized out-of-school learning environments during their educational lives. Significant improvements favoring the post-test application were observed across all dimensions between pretest and posttest scores. Data from reflective essays written by the preservice math teachers indicated their emphasis on active participation and included suggestions particularly in the implementation dimension.

Developing children's local food programs: One volunteer's perspective

While volunteers are widespread in U.S. local food systems, they have not been the focus of data collection or research. As a result, we have limited understanding of the perspectives and motivations of local food volunteers. In this reflective essay, I describe my insights from volunteering in Alexan­dria, Virginia. The two initiatives that I focus on were to establish a “Power of Produce” program at my local farmers market and an after-school culinary and gardening program at a private ele­mentary school. The former program I have been able to sustain for three years (as of this writing), whereas the latter program was discontinued after two eight-week sessions. In this essay, I describe my motivations in conceptualizing and organizing these programs. I also describe challenges I encoun­tered due to inexperience or capacity constraints as a volunteer. I conclude by discussing how additional research that examines the roles and motivations of volunteers could be valuable.

Investigating feelings of imposterism in first-year medical student narratives.

Imposter phenomenon (IP), feeling as if a person does not belong, has been reported in medical students at various rates. In medical literature, this phenomenon has often been defined as a 'syndrome', but other studies have described it as a dynamic experience that can have various impacts on different people at different time points. Although studies have linked IP with other phenomena such as burnout in residents and physicians, no studies have examined its aetiology nor how these feelings are experienced by medical students. With the use of social identity theory as a framework, the authors analysed 233 reflective essays for elements of IP across eight cohorts of medical students from two institutions. Students responded to a prompt that asked: 'What was one part of your identity that you thought you would have to change in order to become a physician?' Included reflections were analysed using the framework method. Elements of IP were identified in 121 reflections (52%) and were categorised into three major themes: (1) Comparing oneself to an idealised image of a medical student, (2) Comparing oneself to an idealised image of a physician and (3) Concerns about presentation of self to others. Each theme contained two or more sub-themes. Commonly, students discussed how their own personality traits, experiences, backgrounds and identities cast doubt on their sense of belonging in medicine. The results of this study were consistent across both institutions, suggesting that imposter feelings are common among all first-year medical students. However, the extent of the impact of these feelings on their identity formation depends on the individual lived experiences of students and the context in which these feelings arise. Encouraging reflective journaling and sharing of stories from all stages of education can normalise imposter feelings during the development of the professional identity as a physician.