Combining lived experience with the facilitation of enquiry‐based learning: a ‘trigger’ for transformative learning

Abstract

What is known on the subject The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in the content of mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students' assimilate the principles of recovery into their practice due to the troublesome and challenging nature of learning at a transformational level, also known as threshold concept learning. Evaluation suggests that this combination of educational approaches positively influences students' prior understandings, beliefs and values in relation to the prospect for people with significant mental health problems to recover. The components of threshold concepts are useful as a deductive framework for the evaluation of educational initiatives which attempt to initiate transformative learning. While this forum clearly holds significant potential for student development, support and preparation is needed for both the student and the facilitator in order to enable the possibility of learning which influences attitudes, beliefs and practice. The aim of this paper is to discuss the potential for combining lived experience of mental distress with the facilitation of enquiry-based learning (EBL) to act as a trigger for transformative learning in the context of promoting the understanding of mental health 'recovery' in nurse education.The values underpinning recovery-orientated practice are recited in the literature and influential in mental health nurse education internationally. However, scepticism exists regarding the degree to which students assimilate into their practice. An open-ended was distributed to a cohort of pre-registration nursing students receiving the co-facilitated EBL (n = 112). Data demonstrated how the specific attributes of this educational approach were identified by students as impacting positively on ill-informed preconceptions, understanding of complex theory and their future practice. Results were considered in light of the identification of 'recovery' as a 'threshold concept' and offered evidence to support the value of this specific educational forum in the promotion of learning which is transformative, integrative, bounded and at times troublesome. Support and significant preparation is needed for both the student and the facilitator in order to enable the possibility of transformatory learning.

Transformative learning as pedagogy for the health professions: a scoping review

“…Students need to be receptive and have the capacity to consider multiple viewpoints when their own positions and frames of reference are being challenged. They need to be open to experiencing a level of vulnerability and take the ‘disorienting dilemmas’ on board rather than opting to distance themselves from either the patients or the context . There needs to be an intent to seek common ground for understanding that will lead to the social good that is implicit in TL theory.…”

“…23,36,40,51,93 Often this was linked to a particular event or experience, typically the 'authentic' experiences mentioned above, and could be associated with feelings of guilt and fear. 40,59 In some instances, TL was directly linked to Meyer and Land's idea of 'threshold concepts': 41,43,47,77,94 'a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something'. 95…”

“…They need to be open to experiencing a level of vulnerability and take the 'disorienting dilemmas' on board rather than opting to distance themselves from either the patients or the context. 94 There needs to be an intent to seek common ground for understanding 37 that will lead to the social good that is implicit in TL theory. Inevitably, there are students who may be too egocentric and/or emotionally disconnected to benefit.…”

Outcomes of Consumer Involvement in Mental Health Nursing Education: An Integrative Review

“…In the study by Byrne et al [ 26 ], the consumer participated in the process of education delivery, assessment, and even evaluation with equal autonomy to nursing educators. In a study by Stacey et al [ 27 ], consumers were educated on the philosophy and practice of inquiry-based learning and went through class preparation steps that were carefully designed and applied by educational providers, including setting agreements on the specific boundaries of questioning and self-exposure. Additionally, the story of each person was used to create a trigger for learning, and, after communicating with the student in a simulated scenario, verbal or written feedback about the experience was provided by consumers.…”

Video-Conference Interviews: Ethical and Methodological Concerns in the Context of Health Research

“…Some literature provides context in relation to EBL within Nursing and Midwifery practice but this is at undergraduate level (Snow and Torney, 2015;Hamilton, 2013;Levy and Petrulis, 2011;Tully, 2010;Horne et al, 2007;Rush and Barker, 2006;Brown et al, 2008;Kirwan and Adams, 2008;Ashby, et al, 2005;Fisher and Moore, 2005;Bebb, 2004;Morris and Turnbull, 2004;Glasper, 2001) Other literature explores EBL as a trigger for transformative learning within a mental health nursing context (Stacey and Aubeeluck, 2015) and more generally EBL literature tends to be placed within more generic HE disciplines (Spronken- Smith and Walker, 2010;Justice et al, 2007) whilst the Universities of Manchester (date) and Sheffield (date) provide guidance on how to use EBL as centres of excellence.…”