Introduction: Much literature is devoted to the gap between clinical practice and research, particularly outcome research in the form of the randomised controlled trial (RCT). However, the RCT's central role in health services policy has increasingly led to calls for psychotherapists of all theoretical backgrounds to participate in RCT research. Aims: This study explored how actual participation in outcome research may change clinicians’ attitudes towards this type of research. The specific focus is on psychoanalytic child psychotherapists’ experiences of participation in a large‐scale RCT in the UK studying the effectiveness of treatments for adolescent depression. Method: Five child psychotherapists were interviewed towards the end of the planning stage of the trial, and transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings: Many child psychotherapists found their experience of participation in outcome research transformative, and the study identified six key ‘stages’ in the story of their evolving attitudes to outcome research. Discussion: The contribution of this study to ongoing debates about the relationship between psychotherapy research and practice is discussed.
To introduce this special section about practice-based research and counselling psychology, I first provide a brief overview of the discourses and methods of practice-based research in counselling psychology and psychotherapy fields. I then discuss each of the three papers appearing in this special section, before concluding with some further reflections on the questions and issues raised.
Content and FocusThis narrative literature review critically considers the relationship between practice-based research and counselling psychology. Its starting-point is contexts where gaps between psychotherapy research and practice have been identified. Developments in practice-based research, and the extent to which counselling psychology appears engaged in these, are then explored. Contexts in which practice-based research is conducted are considered, with particular focus on the practice-research network. The challenges associated with practice-research networks, in particular, the issue of practitioner involvement, are highlighted. These issues, relating both to counselling psychology’s engagement in practice-based research, and practitioners’ engagement in practice-research networks, suggest an exploration of the role of practitioner research training. Empirical literature relating to current counselling psychology research training programmes is reviewed. Recently, in the US and in Europe, a model of ‘practice-based research training’ has emerged as the next generation of practice-research network. Practice-based research training, as its name implies, involves the close integration of the activities of clinical practice, research and training. Examples of practice-based research training initiatives are outlined.ConclusionThis paper aims to highlight the importance and relevance of practice-based research to counselling psychology in the UK and beyond. Practice-based research training is proposed as a highly promising paradigm for counselling psychology, with potential to ameliorate the gaps, deficits and challenges reported in this review.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led both to an increased need for and a shortage of trained healthcare staff globally. The population of undergraduate students in health and social care is diverse and widening participation practices are vital to support these students to navigate through academic study. In post-pandemic higher education environments, where hybrid and blended approaches to learning are now more commonplace, research relating to students’ experience, use, perception and understanding of assessment criteria and feedback is ever more important. Aim: The present review and qualitative thematic meta-synthesis is a secondary analysis following a primary study that aimed to understand students’ understanding of the relationship between assessment criteria and assessment feedback. Methods: Using an integrative systematic review method, 1754 articles were initially identified via electronic searches. Study selection was conducted in a series of stages and by agreement between reviewers; 35 articles were selected that met the relevancy criteria. A screening process excluded quantitative and mixed-methods studies, leaving nine qualitative studies for analysis. Results: Findings highlighted two intersecting themes relating to the importance of “Scaffolding assessment and feedback” and how this linked to students’ “Engagement and perceived self-efficacy”. A constructivist educational framework is proposed to scaffold students’ engagement and perceived self-efficacy in relation to assessment criteria and assessment feedback. Elements in this framework include: (1) multiple modalities for feedback to support inclusive best practice; (2) the provision of mentorship and / or reflective spaces for processing assessment criteria and feedback; and (3) a goal-oriented approach to students’ engagement with assessment criteria and feedback. Conclusion: Such a framework will make assessment and feedback more transparent and accessible for students, broaden their focus beyond grade attainment, enable them to make links between assessment criteria, assignment writing and assessment feedback, and support inclusivity and staff-student relationships in the context of post-pandemic educational systems.
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