The role of peer meetings for professional development in health science education: a qualitative analysis of reflective essays

Abstract

Introduction The development of professional behaviour is an important objective for students in Health Sciences, with reflective skills being a basic condition for this development. Literature describes a variety of methods giving students opportunities and encouragement for reflection. Although the literature states that learning and working together in peer meetings fosters reflection, these findings are based on experienced professionals. We do not know whether participation in peer meetings also makes a positive contribution to the learning experiences of undergraduate students in terms of reflection. Aim The aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the role of peer meetings in students' learning experiences regarding reflection. Method A phenomenographic qualitative study was undertaken. Students' learning experiences in peer meetings were analyzed by investigating the learning reports in students' portfolios. Data were coded using open coding. Results The results indicate that peer meetings created an interactive learning environment in which students learned about themselves, their skills and their abilities as novice professionals. Students also mentioned conditions for a well-functioning group. Conclusion The findings indicate that peer meetings foster the development of reflection skills as part of professional behaviour.

Peer group reflection helps clinical teachers to critically reflect on their teaching

“…Adding peer group reflection resulted in deeper critical reflection and more concrete plans for change. These findings are in line with other studies (DeNisi & Kluger 2000;Steinert & Mann 2006;Tigelaar et al 2008;Mcleod & Steinert 2009;Schaub-de Jong et al 2009) which showed that a limited effect of individual self-reflection can be enhanced by peer meetings. However, no previous studies have compared strategies that differed only in the inclusion of a peer meeting.…”

“…This problem can be overcome by facilitating feedback (Sargeant et al 2008) so as to stimulate feedback recipients to engage in constructive reflection on their practice (DeNisi & Kluger 2000;Smither et al 2005). Self-assessment and peer meetings are ways to facilitate feedback (Ross & Bruce 2007;Tigelaar et al 2008) and several authors have highlighted their importance in facilitating teachers' professional growth (Ross & Bruce 2007;Tigelaar et al 2008;Mcleod & Steinert 2009;Schaub-de Jong et al 2009;Stalmeijer et al 2009). There are, however, no published studies comparing the impact of different feedback strategies on the quality of self-reflection.…”

Work engagement in health professions education

“…peer (group) meetings, peer-group learning, small-group curriculum), the effect of this type of education has been subject to research regularly. Peer meetings in which personal experiences from professional practice were discussed proved to foster the development of reflection skills (Schaub-de Jong et al 2009). An intervention for physicians based on facilitated group discussions among physicians with attention to mindfulness, reflection, shared experiences and the promotion of collegiality and community at work through small-group learning, improved meaningfulness in work and work engagement and reduced overall burnout.…”

Development of a student rating scale to evaluate teachers’ competencies for facilitating reflective learning

“…1,4,5 An effective method of developing the skills required to facilitate this process is to practise reflection on personal experiences in small groups. [6][7][8] As personal connotations are inherent in this kind of reflection, the small-group setting needs to be trustworthy and safe. 9 This implies that the facilitators of these groups need specific teacher competencies.…”

“…17 As such an analysis also implies sharing personal experiences and feelings with group members, an open and trustworthy learning environment is a prerequisite for reflective learning. 8,9 These essential features call for specific teacher competencies. To a greater degree than, for instance, tutors who guide group processes with an emphasis on rational reasoning, teachers who facilitate reflective learning groups need to: (i) help students make their experiences more explicit and concrete; (ii) help students investigate emotions that influence professional behaviour; (iii) stimulate interactions among students with a focus on improving students' reflective skills, and (iv) stimulate the development of skills such as active listening.…”