Content area
Background
The professional development of faculty members is essential for improving the quality of education. Faculty development programs play a very vital role in continued professional development of faculty. Reflective Critique writing is an important tool for evaluation of faculty development programs, as it provides opportunities for self-reflection, self-critique and self-awareness. The experience of Reflective Critique writing, needs to be explored in order to encourage the faculty to engage in this practice and pursue their personal & professional growth. Aim of study is to determine the effectiveness of Reflective Critique writing in improving the teaching skills of faculty members after a formal faculty development program & to explore their experience using reflective critique technique to improve their professional & personal life.
Method
It was a mixed method study and design used was Explanatory Sequential Design. Quantitative part is Quasi experimental studies and Qualitative part is Exploratory. Purposive sampling technique was used for Quantitative part (27 faculty members) & Convenience sampling technique (10 faculty members) for Qualitative part of the studies. Case based learning facilitation skills workshop was conducted as a part of faculty development program in which participants were also trained on writing Reflective Critique texts on the “what, so what & now what” model. Participants also went through pre & posttest of the workshop & wrote their first Reflective Critique text. First evaluation for seeing improvement in teaching skills, learning transfer & behavior changes with Reflective Critique writing was carried out after 3 months at workplace (round 1) & second evaluation on the same pattern was carried out after 6 months of workshop at workplace (round 2). Participants wrote 3 Reflective Critique texts in total. At the end of the study, participants experience of Reflective Critique writing was explored in depth by semi-structured interviews of 10 faculty members.
Results
Results included the grading of reflective capacity of participants on REFLECT rubric & comparison of pre & posttest results. REFLECT rubric grading showed that in 3rd Reflective Critique writing almost 80% of the participants became critical reflectors, improving from an initial 60% progress in first writing, showing the effectiveness of the training program & increased effectiveness of teaching skills, learning transfer & behavior change at workplace. Evaluation was taken up to level 3 of the Kirkpatrick model. Results of pre & posttest showed marked improvement in results with a significant p-value indicating the success of intervention. Hence the data analysis showed the improved teaching skills, enhanced learning transfer at workplace with a positive behavior change which clearly indicated the effectiveness of Reflective Critique in improving the teaching skills of the participants & behavior change at workplace as well as their personal & professional development. Participants experience of Reflective Critique writing was explored further in the qualitative part of the studies and results showed multiple themes including ongoing teaching skills, increased higher order thinking and making sense of experience. Participants labelled Reflective Critique as: The Game Changer.
Conclusion
Reflective Critique writing enabled the participants to get a deeper critical evaluation of the faculty development program, which in return enhanced their overall performance at workplace.
Introduction of the study
A constructive teacher must put effort to ensure effective learning. In a rapidly changing environment, they need to update their teaching skills. Improving the teaching skills of faculty members is directly related to modern exceptional generations and quality professionals. In the last 10 years, field of faculty development has grown considerably. It is now believed that not every graduate from a medical or dental school can be a good teacher, that’s why over time, focus has shifted towards faculty development programs. It has been long reported, most important asset that any institution has, is its faculty members, who teach knowledge and skills to students [1]. However, during the first half of the last century, it was assumed that a competent basic scientist or clinical professional would naturally be an effective teacher [2]. But this is not true with every individual. FDPs are required to prepare faculty members to deal with the rapid changes and shifting paradigms in medical education & clinical practice [3]. When the faculty of an institution goes through the FDPs regularly, they in return enhance the overall performance of the institution in terms of teaching by them & learning by students, in a much better and improved way. From an institutional perspective, an FDP is fully resourced when it supports institutional goals. From an individual’s perspective, the degree to which an institutionally responsive FDP will engage faculty, relies partly on how committed faculty are, to institutional values and goals [4].
FDPs help to intensify the knowledge, expertise and potential of teachers. Integral aspects of the faculty development programs include helping faculty to understand who they are as teachers and instilling a belief that they can be successful teachers. Nowadays institutions are running multiple FDPs to achieve these goals. However, the effectiveness & impact of FDPs on the participants in academic activities, has received little recognition [5] Therefore, it has become a burning issue to evaluate how these FDPs improve faculty members teaching efficacy, research efficacy, technology adaptations, self-efficacy and ability to measure student learning. By evaluating FDP, its impact on faculty, student and institution. Impact of these programs can be seen by many different evaluation techniques but most commonly used is Kirkpatrick’s model of program evaluation [6] Kirkpatrick described an evaluation model with four levels of program outcomes. Specialists in this field believe focus should shift more towards higher levels of evaluation rather than just to see the reaction & learning levels of evaluation. Higher levels enable one to see the impact at the workplace & results [7]. Different techniques used for evaluation at higher level of Kirkpatrick model include direct observation, pre & post training assessments, peer observations & Reflective Critique.
Reflective Critique writing plays a very vital role in self-evaluation as well as program evaluation. By critically reflecting, participants engage in personal and professional development and also critically reflect on effectiveness of the program, whether the program is fulfilling its requirements or not. It is a crucial part of meaningful learning and practice improvement as meaningful reflections go beyond simple recall of information and descriptions of what happened [8]. The combination of expert knowledge with teaching ‘about’ and ‘how to’ engage in reflection is contributing to the emergence of mature professionals with a changed perspective to that which they held prior to their professional program [9]. They suggest a shift in focus from knowledge and skills acquisition to ‘responsive ways of being’, with an emphasis on the dynamic and changing nature of practice.
Put simply, Reflective Critique produces better educators & enhances students learning and provides constructive feedback of the program to the organizers.
However, in majority of our setup’s role of Reflective Critique in program evaluation is still undermined. In this study the emphasis is placed on the benefits of utilizing Reflective Critique technique as an evaluation tool for the FDP program. Study was conducted in Islamic International Medical College, located in the heart of Rawalpindi. The College follows modern integrated modular based spiral curriculum with innovative teaching strategies. Along with interactive lectures there are multiple slots of CBL, PBL & flipped classroom in timetable, thus enhancing student centered learning. The College conducts a structured monthly faculty development program (FDP) with 25–30 participants per session (total faculty is 100). These mandatory sessions include workshops and refreshers on innovative teaching strategies such as CBL, PBL, flipped classrooms, interactive lectures, and PowerPoint skills. Additionally, an orientation program is conducted for all newly inducted faculty.
Previously in program evaluation, FDPs were evaluated at level 2 of the Kirkpatrick model at IIMC by simple feedback by the faculty and students but the change at the workplace was not observed by any method while faculty was also not involved for continuous learning through reflection on action to get any insight of their professional growth. This year the committee decided to involve participant at their workplace to evaluate the activities at level 3 of Kirkpatrick by using Reflective Critique texts of the participants at the workplace. This Critique helped participants in reflecting on their own experiences after FDP in a critical way and aided them in identifying their own weaknesses and strengths. In the long run, this practice will benefit the institution, the faculty, and the students.
Methods
Study setting
Study was conducted in one medical college of Pakistan, Islamic international medical college, Rawalpindi after getting the ethical approval from the ethic review committee of the college. Study duration was 06 months starting from January 2023 till June 2023. This study serves as a preliminary investigation, as it was conducted in a single medical college. Future research will incorporate more diverse data from multiple institutions to enhance the generalizability of the findings.
Participants
Prior permission was obtained from the IIMC administration to ensure faculty participation. Arrangements were made to free participants for the study duration, and their engagement was maintained throughout the research process with an official obligation enforced by the administration.
For the quantitative part of the study, 27 faculty members were selected from the IIMC. Participants of the study were both senior and junior faculty members who fell in inclusion criteria (additional file 1). For phase 1 & 2 of study participants were selected from different departments via purposive sampling technique. 3 Associate Professors from Forensic Medicine, Community Medicine and Anatomy participated. 12 Senior Lecturers and 10 PG trainees from Anatomy, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology, Forensic Medicine and Community Medicine participated. Informed written consent was taken from the participants before the study was conducted.
For qualitative part of study, 10 participants were selected on the basis of results of quantitative studies. All the selected participants were Critical Reflectors based on REFLECT Rubric.
Sampling
For the quantitative part of the studies 27 faculty members were selected by using G-power sample calculator. 0.5 effect size was used to calculate the sample size (additional file 2). Purposeful sampling technique was employed to select the faculty members.
For qualitative studies 10 semi-structured interviews were conducted of 10 selected faculty members. Convenience sampling technique was used. Participants were selected on the basis of their Reflective Critique writings, graded on REFLECT rubric after the quantitative studies results. Critical reflectors were selected for the qualitative part.
Design
Study design used was mixed method, Explanatory Sequential Design. Quantitative part is Quasi experimental studies and Qualitative part is Exploratory [10].
Material
Two pre-validated instruments were used for the study and prior consent was taken from authors. First was the “what so what & now what model” (additional file 3) This Reflective Critique model was researched and developed by Rolfe et al. in 2001. This model is free to use and is available online. It is frequently used for a critical reflection session where one need to define and frame the problem, analyze the impact and then consider the possible actions to address the issue [11]. Second was, “The Reflection Evaluation for Learners’ Enhanced Competencies Tool” (REFLECT), a new rubric for evaluating levels of reflection (additional file 4) It was developed by Hedy S Wald and her colleagues at medical school of Brown university and it was first published in November, 2011.The REFLECT is a rigorously developed, theory-informed analytic rubric, demonstrating adequate interrater reliability, face validity, feasibility, and acceptability [12]. REFLECT presents a matrix wherein characteristics of the written narrative are assessed on a 4-level scale that spans from ‘non-reflective’ to ‘critically reflective’ and that offers a provision for specifying whether any critical level reflection was indicative of confirmatory or transformative learning [12]. Rubric comprises of 4 levels against which the reflective writings are graded. These levels are Habitual, Reflector, Critical Reflector confirmative learning & Critical Reflector transformative learning. As part of FDP, workshop was conducted on CBL facilitation skills. Case-Based Learning (CBL) is an instructional method that actively engages students by having them work in small, collaborative groups to solve complex problems that mimic real-world scenarios. This approach promotes active learning and helps students apply theoretical knowledge to practical situations. Faculty trained in facilitation skills was evaluated at the workplace to assess teaching improvement and behavior change. A checklist was used to evaluate learning transfer, and the researcher personally and meticulously evaluated each faculty member on-site.
Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews, allowing participants to elaborate on their experiences while enabling the researcher to probe deeply for insights [13]. Before initiating the interviews, the research question and objectives were aligned with the conceptual framework to ensure compatibility. ‘How’ and ‘why’ questions, which explore individual perspectives, are particularly suited for this methodology [14]. Open-ended questions were developed based on themes from a critical appraisal of relevant articles and related theories. Initially, 16 questions were designed, validated by senior medical educationists across Pakistan, and refined to 6 questions for the final interviews (additional file 5).
A pilot interview with a colleague took 25 min and was conducted in a quiet setting with prior consent. The researcher adhered to the prepared questions while remaining flexible and using probes. Participants were thanked for their cooperation [10].
Procedure
Internal validity of study
Frame work of Guba was used to ensure the rigor in research [15]. Since the participants & the researcher were in the same institution & researcher interacted with the participants for at least 4 times at separate occasions, hence credibility was ensured. This whole process prolonged the participant-researcher engagement significantly [16]. Participants were involved in many different programs including certificate & degree programs of medical education, basic & clinical years of MBBS, nursing courses and postgraduate degree programs of basic & clinical science. It helped to ensure the external validity of study. Furthermore, as mentioned above, multiple interactions with participants were made (Shenton,2004) Dependability was ensured by providing minute details of entire research process including the sample size, selection procedure, tools, data collection & analysis. These details will help any future researcher who likes to take up this topic and get the same outcomes using “overlapping methods” and add value [16] to ensure conformability the triangulation technique was used at multiple levels in study. This process helped in finding the problems in understanding the questions by the participant and its interpretation by the researcher [16].
Phases of study
Data collection was done in three phases. Phase 1 &2 for Quantitative data collection and phase 3 for Qualitative data collection.
Phase 1
In first phase, 27 faculty members for the research process went through a faculty development program. They were trained on case-based learning facilitation skill through a workshop. Workshop was properly planned & during the first half of the workshop participants were trained on how to write Reflective Critique text by using the “What, so what & now what” model and then they continued with rest of the workshop on CBL facilitation skills. At the end of the workshop participants were asked to write a Reflective Critique text on their experience of workshop. Phase 1 corresponds to the first two levels of the Kirkpatrick model which are, Reaction (level 1) and Learning (level 2) & both these levels represent the immediate evaluation.
Phase 2
Now participants went to their workplace & started taking CBLs at their workplace. 3 months after the workshop the researcher evaluated the participants individually while taking a CBL at their workplace. At the end of CBL each participant was again requested to write 2nd Reflective Critique text on their experience. The process was repeated again after 3 months and participants wrote their 3rd Reflective Critique text. Phase 2 corresponds to the third level of the Kirkpatrick model which is Behavior (level 3). This level shows the delayed evaluation results at the workplace.
Phase 3
During this phase 10 faculty members were selected using the convenience sampling technique for the semi structured interviews. Researcher tried her best to remain unbiased during interviews and did not give any verbal and non-verbal cues of agreement or disagreement. Main aim was to listen more and talk less and ask relevant questions. Participants were given choice of language and half of participants chose Urdu and other half chose English as medium of communication. All the questions were open ended to ensure liberty of expression of participants. Recordings were done and also small notes were taken by researcher.
Data analysis
Quantitative data was gathered mainly on word format. Reflective Critique texts were graded on REFLECT rubric and their graphic representation was made. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyze the qualitative data of interviews. Manual thematic analysis was performed. For many years thematic analysis was done manually to this day many researchers prefer this method as it doesn’t require any specialized software. First step was to listen to each recorded interview one by one and then transcribed them on Microsoft word. Both inductive & deductive approach was used to identify the themes. Subsequently, thematic content analysis was performed using the Braun and Clarke 6 step framework (Fig. 1) for thematic analysis [17].
The goal of this thematic analysis (Fig. 1) was to identify themes, important and relevant patterns in the data, and then using these themes to address the research question [18].
[See PDF for image]
Fig. 1
Braun and Clarke six-step framework for qualitative data analysis
Results
For quantitative studies 27 faculty members were selected (Table 1).
Table 1. Demographics of participants of study
Number of participants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Male | Age years | Experience Years | |
Associate professors | 3 | - | < 50 | > 15 |
Senior lecturers | 12 | 1 | < 50 | > 10 |
PG trainees | 10 | 1 | < 40 | > 5 |
Total | 25 + 2 = 27 | |||
Reflect rubric analysis
REFLECT rubric was used to grade the Reflective Critique texts. These texts were written by participants on the format of “What, so What and now What” model. The rubric graded the reflective capacity against 4 levels (Table 2). Participants involved in study engaged in Reflective Critique writing 3 times. After thoroughly going through the Reflective Critique texts firstly by the researcher and then cross checked by second researcher as well to remove the bias following results were designed shown table below (Table 2).
Table 2. Types of reflectors based on REFLECT rubric
Types of reflectors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st reflective critique | 2nd reflective critique | 3rd reflective critique | ||||
Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | Number | Percentage | |
Critical reflection | 10 | 60% | 13 | 76% | 15 | 80% |
Reflection | 5 | 20% | 6 | 12% | 5 | 14% |
Thoughtful process | 5 | 10% | 3 | 4% | 3 | 3% |
Habitual | 5 | 10% | 3 | 8% | 2 | 3% |
Total number of Participants | 25 (100%) | |||||
Below is the graphic representation of the types of reflectors as per REFLECT rubric grading of 3rd Reflective Critique texts.
The 1st Reflective Critique text of the participants showed that almost 60% were Critical Reflectors and 40% fell in the category of simple reflectors & habitual reflectors. When the 2nd Reflective Critique texts of participants were graded on REFLECT rubric there was positive change towards almost 76% of the participants becoming critical reflectors and percentage of simple & habitual reflectors fell to 24%. During the last round of Reflective Critique writing and it’s grading it was found out that 80% of the participants fell into the criteria of being critical reflectors which showed that the participants very well understood the concept of Reflective Critique writing & it improved substantially with repeated writings on the given parameters of Critical Reflection writing based on what, so what & now what model. 14% of the participants simply wrote reflective texts with no future action plans mentioned and situation was not analyzed critically by them. Remaining 6% just wrote down a note without any element of reflection in that note (Fig. 2).
[See PDF for image]
Fig. 2
Graphic representation of types of reflectors
Participants involved in the study wrote Reflective Critique texts three times each at three different occasions. First one was immediately after the workshop & last two Reflective Critique texts were written at workplace & at an interval of three months. While participants critically reflected on their experience of case-based learning facilitation skill and their journey as a whole at workplace after the initial workshop, they indulged in personal & professional development. While writing about the future plans in these texts they focused on better tomorrow both in terms of their behavior and professional development.
Qualitative results
Total of 10 faculty members were selected by using convenience sampling technique for the one-on-one interviews. Diversity, which makes participants different from one another was based on years of experience, designation & disciplines. These participants were selected on the basis of their Reflective Critique writing grading on REFLECT rubric. All the participants included in semi-structured interviews were Critical Reflectors.
Triangulation of data for interviews was achieved by involving multiple researchers in the data collection and analysis process. Each investigator independently reviewed the interview transcripts and then compared their findings to ensure objectivity, minimize bias, and validate the results. This approach enhanced the credibility and reliability of the findings.
Demographic details of participants are as follows (Table 3).
Table 3. Demographic details of interview participants
Number of participants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Female | Male | Age years | Experience years | |
Associate professors forensic medicine Associate professor community medicine | 1 1 | - | > 50 | > 15 |
Senior lecturer forensic medicine Senior lecturer physiology Senior lecturer forensic medicine | 1 1 | 1 | < 50 | > 10 |
PG trainee Biochemistry PG trainee Anatomy PG trainee Pharmacology | 1 1 | 1 | < 40 | > 5 |
Total | 8 + 2 = 10 | |||
A thematic framework was developed after going through the interviews multiple times and then transcribing the interviews in word format. Main themes & sub themes were identified and are listed in table below (table 4)
Table 4. Thematic analysis of interviews based on theory & literature search
Theory / themes | Questions | Main themes | Codes | Representative quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Experiential learning theory | How did you feel about the experience of Case based learning workshop? What was the most important or relevant part of this experience? Did you feel that the experience was a positive or negative one and why? | Refinement of teaching skills | Teaching skills Training Program Professional skills Steps confidence | My professional skills got elevated after attending the training program, especially my teaching skills at workplace. I understood how to tackle the students and by critically reflecting I further enhanced my professional skills. |
Transformative learning theory | Were there any environmental or other factors that influenced the experience? How do you think this experience will impact you, your students, discipline & your institution and your future actions? | Learning transfer at workplace & workplace environment | Learning transfer Friendly environment Transformation Concepts | Workshop was conducted in a very systematic & logical manner. Friendly environment during the workshop helped me in grasping all the concepts more clearly enhancing learning transfer during the training program & at the workplace later on. |
FDP & behavior change at workplace | Did this experience influence the way you do things now and if so, have you changed anything since that experience? Have any of your previous beliefs changed as a result of the experience? If so how | Behavior change | Positive behavior Achievements Traditional Modification Workplace Training program | Before this experience I used to just get over with the session in traditional way. But after the experience of Reflective Critique & training program there’s a positive change in my overall behavior & personality. Reflective Critique actually made me realize my positives & negatives and because of this experience I modified myself & my behavior at workplace. |
Reflective Critique & personal and professional development | How did the Reflective Critique writing change you personally & professionally? How was your experience of writing Reflective Critique texts? | Role of Reflective Critique | Personal & professional development Self-awareness Improved efficacy Game changer Critical thinking Lifelong reflectors | Reflective Critique helped me in realizing my potential weaknesses and how I can overcome them. I think I’ve now become a lifelong learner & reflector. This practice improved me both personally & professionally. |
Refinement of teaching skills
While interviewing the participants, this theme emerged amongst other main themes (Table 4) Almost all the participants mentioned the role of FDPs and its significance in improving their teaching skills at workplace. One of the participants said.
The workshop on CBL facilitation skills made my concepts clearer and more practical & improved my teaching skills further. I achieved this goal by critically reflecting on my experience after attending the training program.
Since the faculty goes through FDPs off & on and few of them try to avoid or skip the programs. Many participants agreed while interviewing, attending FDPs should be made mandatory. One of the participants contributed by saying.
At first, I got annoyed, why should I attend this workshop as I have already attended one almost 10 months back. But after attending this workshop I realized, I needed a refresher badly and I was forgetting some basic steps. By following these steps now my teaching skills are improved at my workplace. Workshop also included a part on Reflective Critique Writing which was new to me and I am happy that I learned something new and very important.
Mostly in medical colleges, faculty keeps on changing frequently. This workshop was first experience for a few participants as one of them narrated.
Since I joined this institution, this is my first workshop on CBL facilitation skills and I strongly believe that I needed it badly.
This workshop helped me in transforming myself into a better teacher with improved teaching skills & more confident since now I know the complete process of CBL. This really helped me in my personal confidence boost.
These workshops are very important in enhancing ones professional (teaching skills) & personal skills. Many participants appreciated the workshop and wanted to have them more frequently. Another participant said in interview.
After this workshop I felt a definitive change in my overall personality. The workshop actually, transformed me both professionally & personally. Reflective Critique writing was a unique experience for me.
One more commented on the same topic.
These workshops should be more frequent and mandatory for all faculty irrespective of the designation. These workshops help in transforming the faculty into better teachers and mentors.
Faculty development programs play a very vital role in transforming the faculty in all aspects. The way a workshop is conducted is of utmost importance. There should always be some hands-on activity to facilitate transfer & teaching skills. This also helps in keeping the workshop atmosphere conducive, quoted by many participants in interviews.
While role playing during the workshop, I realized what students went through when they are in a CBL session. This helped me in modifying my behavior and teaching skills to further facilitate the students during the session.
One of the senior faculty members signified the importance of becoming a critical thinker. She narrated in interview.
Reflecting on the experience of workshop helped me in identifying both the good and the bad points & made me a critical thinker.
Learning transfer at workplace & workplace environment
Another important aspect that arose from interviews was learning transfer at workplace & workplace environment and its evolution (Table 4). Participants believed that good conducive environment of both the workshop & the workplace helps in better learning transfer. They also shared their past experiences and compared them with their new experiences.
As one of the participants said in interview.
Role playing during the workshop literally made the workshop environment look alike workplace. The experience helped me when I actually went to workplace and it helped in improved learning transfer at workplace.
All the participants agreed unanimously about the Reflective Critique significance & its role in learning transfer and.
behavior changes at workplace. One of them emphasized in interview.
After attending the workshop & learning Reflective Critique technique, I became a better facilitator & critical thinker. Critical thinking & reflecting helped me in making future plans more efficient & beneficial for students. I also realized; it helped in overall progress of the institution.
Another one also commented on the importance of incorporating Reflective Critique technique in her life. She stated.
While reflecting on my experience after the workshop, I tried to change my workplace environment to be more student friendly since it improves learning transfer.
It is of the utmost importance to reflect upon the experiences. By doing so, one comes to know about the things which were previously overlooked. While critically reflecting thrice for the project, participants developed a good sense of self-awareness and self-critique, mentioned by many in interviews.
The experience as a whole brought about many positive changes in me both professionally & personally. I strongly believe that these changes had a strong impact on students & institution as well. I handled my students in a much proper and organized manner and since I was confident about my teaching strategy after the workshop, learning transfer was tremendous.
The experience actually allowed me to critically see my own self as a person, facilitator & mentor. After chalking down my own shortcomings, I came to know, the experience not only effected & improved me but also brought about an overall change in me.
Behavior change
All the participants strongly believed that the experience of Reflective Critique & faculty development program brought about a positive change in their behavior (Table 4). Behavior change was observed at both professional & personal level. One of the participants narrated regarding overall transformation.
Before this experience I used to get a bit shaky while taking the session of students. Now after the workshop, I’m confident about my own skills and I am enjoying this transformation of my own self.
The experience enabled the participants to look deeply into themselves. This helped them in their self-awareness and in making them better facilitators and human beings. Another participant shared her experience as.
The experience of writing Reflective Critique texts helped me in realizing that I can be a better facilitator with a few more modifications. When I critically reflected first time, I entered into a new era of critical thinking. Later on, I started reflecting on my life experiences critically as well. Even my family noticed a visible positive change in me and my students showed.
higher satisfaction levels.
Another participant shared his feeling of joy by narrating.
When I first took the session at my workplace after the combined experience of workshop & Reflective Critique, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of great achievement. I was completely aware of the steps and techniques to.
engage students and it enabled me to deliver my maximum and an inborn desire to improve further emerged.
One of the senior participants commented on her experience by saying.
Before this experience I used to just get over with the session at workplace and at times I behaved like a traditional teacher and would wind up session on my own. But after the experience of Reflective Critique & workshop there’s a positive change in my overall behavior & personality. Reflective Critique actually made me realize my positives & negatives and because of this experience I modified myself.
After this experience I realized that I have much more potential and I can deliver more than I’m already doing.
Role of reflective critique
While interviewing the participants, it was felt that all of them were super excited about the Reflective Critique technique which they learned during the workshop and then practiced in subsequent months. For many of them it was their first time to practice Reflective Critique writing. As one of them said in interview.
Reflective Critique technique was a bit new for me since I’m not practicing it in my daily life. Once I started critically reflecting, I realized that I’ve to think and ponder on the experience in order to just write a small note. It then eventually started making sense and I began to enjoy writing it. Other than the professional Reflective Critique writing, I also started writing personal experiences based on the principles of Reflective Critique writing. It helped me both in my personal & professional life.
Since there was no routine practice of Reflective Critique writing, it was a difficult task to convince participants to write the Reflective Critique texts. But once they wrote one text, they started enjoying it. Another participant commented.
Initially when I wrote Reflective Critique text in workshop, I was not really convinced that it’s a good idea to waste time on reflecting. But when I was requested to write second & then third Reflective Critique text on my experiences at workplace, it all.
started making sense. I became more aware of myself, my workplace & my professional domains by critically reflecting. Now I will continue to critically reflet.
Another senior participant gave her valuable insight by saying.
I think we should encourage people to critically reflect from the very beginning. It is not just for professional awareness and growth I personally felt a change in my personal behavior as well. Since now I’m critically reflecting on my personal life daily at night. For me it’s a game changer. Thank you for this workshop.
Participants also commented on the importance of critical thinking & then critically reflecting. For them it was the best part of the experience, said by many in interview. Few more important points from the interview were.
The practice of Reflective Critique engaged me in critical thinking. Which made me aware of my surroundings and myself.
I finally started making sense of things around me. I think I’ve become a lifelong reflector.
Another important point which was highlighted during the interview was the development of self-awareness by indulging in Reflective Critique writing. All the participants agreed on this point during the interview and some declared it to be the best part of the experience. Participants narrated in interview.
Reflective Critique improved my self-awareness. With improvement in self-awareness came my professional progress as well, since it helped me in making my future plan. Previously I was not much focused on my action plans but Reflective Critique writing explored many traits.
I think I was missing out a major transformative force in my life by not critically reflecting. It improved my efficacy & self-awareness.
All the participants were very happy with their experience and especially the Reflective Critique part. Some referred to it as a game changer. As one of the participants said in interview.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing these Reflective Critique texts. It is like a game changer for me since it improved me in all aspects of life especially professionally. Now I critically reflect daily on my experience at workplace and note my own shortcomings & progress.
Discussion
The main purpose of the study was to see the effect of Reflective Critique in improving the teaching skills at workplace, relationship of faculty development program with the learning transfer and exploring the experience of Reflective Critique writing of participants.
The grading of Reflective Critique texts at three different occasions helped in identification of the participants whether they were critical reflectors or not. Evaluation was taken up to the 3rd level of Kirkpatrick model of evaluation where participants were evaluated and observed at workplace for behavior change as well as learning transfer & their experience at workplace was explored by Reflective Critique writing.
Howard in 2006 [19] proposed that one cannot teach what one do not know and at an individual level, critical reflection does bring about an awareness of the need for change for oneself. In this study participants engaged in Reflective Critique writing thrice and explored their own experience of faculty development program (workshop), behavior change at workplace and learning transfer. The process engaged them in personal as well as professional development via critically reflecting on their own experience. Their evaluation of Reflective Critique texts on the REFLECT rubric enabled them to get an idea about the type of reflector each participant was. The results showed that almost 80% of the participants were critical reflectors and this essence also showed in their performance at workplace.
Critical Reflection or Reflective Critique is an essential component of personal and societal growth. When one engages into this process, he or she gains a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. This process also enables them to develop empathy, self-awareness and they move towards positive change. As we continue to navigate the complexities of our world, it is more important than ever to engage in critical reflection and challenge ourselves to think deeply about our experiences.
Through Reflective Critique, teachers observed & analyzed their experiences & conceptualized them in order to enhance awareness of their feelings, beliefs and assumptions. Teachers have to constantly learn new pedagogies, teaching skills & educational reforms in order to equip students with complex competencies. For this purpose, professional development programs are required that provide in-service teachers with opportunities to continuously improve the quality of their professional practice. Within the field of education, Reflective Critique is predominantly conceptualized as a systematic & structured process of thinking that facilitates personal & professional growth. Teaching skills are enhanced with this professional growth and it favors learning transfer & students’ satisfaction. Sense of achievement gained after a successful session calls for further improvement in teaching skills of medical teachers. Contentment at workplace enhances the performance & it in return makes environment conducive for learning transfer. The amalgamation of expert knowledge with teaching & engagement in critical reflection is contributing to the emergence of mature professionals with a changed perspective. This supports the notion of transformation proposed by Dall’Alba and Barnacle in 2007 [9].
Since the participants indulged in Reflective Critique writing they in return developed good personal & professional skills including teaching skills and behavior change. All this leads to overall transformation of the faculty, students & institution. Behavior change also comes under this umbrella of transformation. Reflective Critique exposes performance gaps and it helps to process behavior change among adult learners [20] Some improvements in behavior were self-reported by the participants however student’s ratings of teacher’s behavior also changed. Reflecting critically helped the participants to develop skills and review their effectiveness, rather than just carry-on doing things as they have always done them. They developed a habit of questioning things & situations in a positive way & then deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future. It is crucial to be aware that critical reflection cannot be reduced to a mere set of prescribed steps and techniques, nor can it be conducted at a merely rational level [21]. We should consider that student teachers’ or teachers’ learning processes are multi-dimensional (in each person the cognitive, affective and motivational sources of behavior are intertwined, and embedded in a social context), multi-level in nature and often unconscious [22] Consequently, at an organizational level Reflective Critique practices may offer institutions a better way of operating & functioning more ethically, equitably and inclusively [23]. Reflective critique writing helped the participants in their personal & professional development and also improved their teaching skills at workplace. All the participants unanimously agreed to this point.
Limitation of study
Despite careful planning, the study faced several challenges. Participants were from a single institution with a non-homogeneous sample, limiting gender-based analysis. A future multi-institutional study with a larger and more diverse sample would yield more representative and accurate results. Faculty with over five years of experience were included, although most of the faculty is junior faculty with less experience. Senior faculty participation was limited due to other commitments. One participant did not complete the second phase of Reflective Critique writing—because of resignation.
Qualitative data analysis through manual thematic methods proved complex, and grading reflective critiques using the REFLECT rubric required consensus among authors. In future it is recommended to use software for data analysis.
The quasi-experimental design was chosen due to the limited pool of CBL faculty (30), as including a control group would further reduce sample size and validity. Future studies will employ a true experimental design with a larger sample for more robust findings.
Practical implications of study
This research will help institutions & program evaluators to know about the effectiveness of the Reflective Critique in improving teaching skills of faculty at workplace and to see the effectiveness of FDPs they are running by critically reflecting upon them. The reflective practice for program evaluation will enhance participants’ abilities to engage in Self-Critique. Learners will also come to know about their strengths and weaknesses and what all they have gained from the FDP. They will come to this conclusion by critically reflecting on their learning through FDPs with promising outcomes in the knowledge and teaching practices. We need to incorporate this practice in evaluating the programs. Since we are lacking use of Reflective Critique technique, we are missing the major transformative force towards improvement.
Future recommendations
Although the qualitative part of the study was aimed to have both inductive & deductive analysis, but to ensure more generalizability in future, study should be conducted in multiple institutions. It will broaden the scope of research. It would be more beneficial for medical education research if study on clinical & non clinical faculty should be conducted separately. Senior faculty should also get involved in this study and they all must engage in Reflective Critique writing as well to get an insight into their teaching & improve it. Gradually all faculty must be trained on Reflective Critique writing for their professional as well as personal development. The current study explored the experience of Reflective Critique writing in our culture. However, the same process can be explored in other cultures or compared with our study. To create ideal situation for faculty to develop the habit of Reflective Critique writing, it is fundamental to develop faculty development programs with more focus on Reflective Critique technique and its incorporation in routine professional life.
Conclusion
Reflective Critique writing is a very effective technique to improve faculty’s performance at workplace & students’ satisfaction as well. By engaging in this practice faculty can easily make out how well they are performing and what is the outcome of their performance. They can chalk out their future plans as per the situation by critically reflecting on it. Efforts should be made at all levels to incorporate this practice as a routine in institutions. Students should also be trained to critically reflect on their experiences for their personal & professional development.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to my Lord & then my parents, my husband and finally my colleagues and respected teachers for doing all the arrangements for the study and for providing their expertise. I am highly grateful to the faculty members who participated in the study.
Authors’ contributions
Every author is responsible for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the analysis, and they all had full access to all study data. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Study conceived by: SA and SAM. Data collection, data analysis, statistical analysis, interpretation of data & manuscript drafting: SA. Reviewing the manuscript for significant intellectual substance: SA. Administrative support: RY, technical or material support: SAM. Supervisors: SAM and RY.
Funding
This study was self-funded.
Data availability
No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Ethical review was sought from Ethical Review Committee of Islamic International Medical College Ref No: RIPHAH /IIMC/IRC/23/3009. Participants were briefed about the purpose of study and their informed written consents were taken. Confidentiality of the participants were ensured and maintained throughout the research process.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Abbreviations
Faculty development programs
Health Professions Education
Islamic International Medical College
Ethical review committee
Reflection Evaluation for Learners' Enhanced Competencies
Statistical package for the social sciences
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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