Students' Awareness of Self-Reflection in Medical Education
Author Information
Author(s): Kanthan Rani, Senger Jenna-Lynn B
Primary Institution: University of Saskatchewan
Hypothesis
The study aims to determine the extent of students' awareness and understanding of the reflective process and the meaning of 'self-reflection' within their learning environment.
Conclusion
Exposure to self-reflection assignments in the early years of undergraduate medical education increases student awareness and promotes the creation of personal meaning of one's reactions, values, and premises in the context of student learning environments.
Supporting Evidence
- Students demonstrated a strong ability to outline their personal learning style.
- More than 75% of students responded favorably to the reflective assignment.
- Students' abilities to connect information to future events were evenly distributed across all levels of awareness.
Takeaway
This study shows that when students think about what they learn, they understand it better and can use it in the future.
Methodology
Students submitted a one-page reflective document based on a template of reflective questions, which were analyzed and categorized into a '5 levels-of-reflection-awareness' scale.
Potential Biases
Some students perceived the assignment as subjective and a waste of time, which may affect the overall assessment of the reflective process.
Limitations
The findings are limited to a snapshot of students' reflections in a single course and depend on individual perceptions.
Participant Demographics
The study included 95 students in 2007-2008 and 110 students in 2008-2009, with ages ranging from 19 to 34 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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