Deeper look into feedback practice in an Indonesian context: exploration of factors in undergraduate clinical settings

Abstract

Purpose: The practice of feedback is influenced by the characteristics of students, teachers, and the clinical environment. Most studies on feedback have been conducted in Western settings with different sociocultural backgrounds to Indonesia. This study explores feedback in Indonesian clinical clerkship using a sociocultural lens and aims to provide an exemplar of adaptive practice relevant to non-Western settings.Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using an interpretive phenomenology approach. Data were collected through focus groups with students and teachers and interviews with program coordinators. Data were transcribed verbatim and grouped according to data sources, coded, and analyzed thematically.Results: Themes identified from the focus group discussions and interviews were categorized as student, teacher, and environmental factors. Student factors include dependence on feedback, tendencies to use a group approach, difficulties recognizing social rules, a perceived lack of resilience, and tendencies to doubt praise. Factors related to teachers include a high level of expertise, being extremely busy, having a strong commitment, and being unsure of students’ acceptance of feedback. Clinical environment factors influence interactions between teachers and learners and include high power distance and collectivistic values. A safe environment is needed to ensure effective feedback interactions.Conclusion: High power distance, collectivism, and generational characteristics of students likely impact feedback practice in clinical settings. Designing a safe environment is essential for effective feedback practice.

Looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: the recalibration of student-teacher relationships in teaching and learning process

“…Indonesia currently has 93 medical schools across Indonesia, with the main medical schools located on Java Island, the country’s most populated and well-developed island. The medical schools in Indonesia have very different contexts, cultures, facilities, and resources, which affects the way they academically adapt in response to the COVID-19, however, generally Indonesia has high power distance and high collectivistic cultural dimensions [ 16 , 17 ], which to some extent would influence student-teacher relationships. Students in Indonesia can enter medical school directly after graduating high school.…”

“…A qualitative descriptive study [ 17 ] was employed to explore individual reflections on current student-teacher relationships following the pandemic and understand these from the perspectives of medical students and medical teachers. Twenty-eight medical teachers and 35 medical students from different medical schools throughout Indonesia were recruited for the study using maximum variation sampling, considering factors such as gender, medical school status (private or public), and location (in or outside Java Island- as the most populated island in Indonesia), clinical/non-clinical background and length of teaching experience (for medical teachers), and study year (for medical students) Participants were invited to participate through emails and chat messengers.…”