The effect of a reflective educational intervention on capacity for self-reflection. - Primary Care Unit

Title:	The effect of a reflective educational intervention on capacity for self-reflection.
Principal research question:	To investigate whether a reflective educational intervention can increase the capacity for self-reflection in undergraduate medical students
Background:	Reflective practice is widely used in healthcare professionals’ education and is being used increasingly in undergraduate medical education.However, little is known about whether short reflective educational interventions are able to affect a students’ ability for self-reflection. One study showed that a short course in clinical ethics, which included reflection had no effect on the student’s capacity for self-reflection. This course was based on small group discussion and its primary aim was not reflection. More research is needed to discover how to increase a student’s capacity for reflection most effectively.
Methodology description:	The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) is a 20-item questionnaire with answers given on a 5-point Likert scale, developed by Grant et al in 2002.It is based on theories of cognition and meta-cognition and aims to measure the readiness of individuals for purposeful behaviour change. The scale consists of three domains: the first assesses the need for self-reflection, the second evaluates the individual’s engagement in self reflection and the third assesses the individual’s insight. Insight has been shown to be related to the need for reflection, but the process of reflection does not lead to insight. Only the first two sections of the SRIS will therefore to be used in this study. The SRIS has been used in Health-Professionals education to measure reflection on a few occasions – however it has never before been used to measure a change in reflective capacity. The scale has been shown to have high internal reliability and has been validated in a recent paper. A further interview study is planned. The interviews will explore the students’ experiences of writing the reflective portfolios; specifically, what reflection means to students and how the reflective educational intervention has affected the students’ ability to self-reflect.
Sample group description:	All final year medical students will be invited to take part in the questionnaire study
Outcome measure description:	The primary outcome is the change in the self-reflection subscale of the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) calculated at the difference from baseline to follow-up
Project organisation
Start date:	1st June 2009
End date:	31st May 2010
Contact person:	Dr Rachel Morris
Contact Details:	Primary Care Research Unit Institute of Public Health University Forvie Site, Robinson Way Cambridge Cambs CB2 0SR UK Telephone: (01223) 768266 Fax: 01223 762515 E-mail: rm374@medschl.cam.ac.uk
References and Publications