RESEARCHING MEDICAL EDUCATIONResearching Medical Education is an authoritative guide to excellence in educational research within the healthcare professions presented by the Association for the Study of Medical Education and AMEE. This text provides readers with key foundational knowledge, while introducing a range of theories and how to use them, illustrating a diversity of methods and their use, and giving guidance on practical researcher development. By linking theory, design, and methods across the spectrum of health professions education research, the text supports the improvement of quality, capacity building, and knowledge generation.
Researching Medical Education includes contributions from experts and emerging researchers from five continents. The text includes information on:
- Developing yourself and your practice as a health professions education researcher
- Methods and methodologies including ethnography/digital ethnography, visual methods, critical discourse analysis, functional and corpus linguistics, critical pedagogy, critical race theory and participatory action research, and educational neuroscience methods
- Theories including those where relationships between context, environment, people and things matter (e.g., complexity theory, activity theory, sociomateriality, social cognitive theories and participatory practice) and those which are more individually focused (e.g., health behaviour theories, emotions in learning, instructional design, cognitive load theory and deliberate practice)
- Includes 10 brand new chapters
Researching Medical Education is the ideal resource for anyone researching health professions education, from medical school to postgraduate training to continuing professional development.
“This is an extraordinary text that combines theory and practice in medical education research. The authors represent the who’s who of medical education research, and their wisdom and insights will help guide novice and experienced researchers alike.”
―David M. Irby, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
“Research in health professions education is maturing. This is clearly evidenced by the second edition of Researching Medical Education. In 30 chapters this book takes you on an exciting voyage on research theories and research methodologies. This book is a comprehensive resource for anyone engaging in research in health professions education.”
― Cees van der Vleuten, former Director of the School of Health Professions Education, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Author(s): Jennifer Cleland, Steven J. Durning
Edition: 2
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 363
City: Hoboken
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
List of contributors
Foreword
Foreword from ASME
Foreword from AMEE
Preface
Words of Recommendation
Part I Developing your practice as a health professions education researcher
Chapter 1 Exploring, measuring or both: considering the differences between qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research
Philosophical differences
Quantitative research
Qualitative research
Mixed methods research
So what do these differences mean in practice?
Comparing research design in quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research
Quantitative research design
Qualitative research designs
Mixed methods research design
Data collection methods
Quantitative data collection methods
Qualitative data collection methods
Data collection in mixed methods
Data management
Data analysis
Quantitative data analysis
Qualitative data analysis
Judging the quality of research
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 2 Theory in health professions education research: the importance of worldview
The purpose of education research
The importance of worldview to study design
Personal assumptions and worldview
Positivism
Interpretivism
Criticalism
Being ‘up front’ about worldview
The relationship between theory and research
Conclusion
References
Chapter 3 Constructivism: learning theories and approaches to research
Distinguishing constructivism from positivism: a review of important terminology
Constructivist theories of learning
Constructivist approaches to research
Five research examples of constructivist research traditions
Methods commonly used within constructivist research approaches
Interviews
Observation:
Document Analysis
The role of the researcher within the constructivist paradigm
Approaches to ensure quality and rigour of research
Trustworthiness criteria
Authenticity criteria
Important points and common pitfalls
Conclusion
References
Chapter 4 Widening access to medicine: using mid-range theory to extend knowledge and understanding
Increasing diversity in medical schools
There is nothing as practical as a good theory43
Theoretical trends in widening access research
The first wave: descriptive and local
The second wave: outcomes and a little process
The third wave: starting to recognise complexity
Wave 4: Looking ahead
Conclusion
References
Chapter 5 Developing the research question: setting the course for your research travels
Why a research question?
The research question under the microscope
The ‘good’ research question
Developing the research question
Identifying a ‘problem’
Establishing a conceptual framework
Refining the research question
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 6 Researching technology use in health professions education: questions, theories, approaches
What?
Who?
Where, when, how?
Why?
Theorising technology use
Methodologies
Study designs and methods
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 7 Power analyses: planning, conducting and evaluating education research
Compute and report effect sizes with confidence intervals
Practicalities and pitfalls
Conclusion
References and resources
Chapter 8 Navigating health professions education research: exploring your researcher identity, research area and community
Why are you doing research?
Adopting the educational scholar identity
Crossing identity borders
Why are you doing this research?
Starting from a practical problem
Starting from a paradigm or methodology
Exploring scientific, societal, strategic and personal relevance
Where are you doing research?
Understanding your research environment
Participating in professional development
Building your research community
Interrelated questions and intentional answers
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 9 How to tell compelling scientific stories: tips for artful use of the research manuscript and presentation genres
Writing up
Entering the conversation
Mapping the gap
Telling the story
Crafting the language
Presenting your work
Story telling
Kill your darlings
Using visuals
Presenting virtually
Communicating science on social media
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Part II Methodologies and methods for health professions education research
Chapter 10 What is known already: reviewing evidence in health professions education
Introduction
Evidence-based and best evidence
‘Systematic review’ vs reviews that are ‘systematic’
The methodological pillars of ‘systematic’ reviews in health professions education
1. What are we asking?
2. Selecting the evidence
Specific review traditions
Scoping reviews
Realist review
Rapid reviews
Focused reviews
Conclusion
References
Chapter 11 Qualitative research methodologies: embracing methodological borrowing, shifting and importing
Methodological borrowing
Qualitative description
Methodological shifting
Grounded theory
Methodological importing
Discourse analysis
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 12 Attuning to the social world: ethnography in health professions education research
History and context of ethnography
Focused ethnography
Focused ethnography in health professions education research
Illustration of the use of focused ethnography
Autoethnography
Autoethnography in health professions education research
Illustration of autoethnography
Going online: digital ethnography
Digital ethnography in health professions education research
Illustration of digital ethnography
Conclusion
Recommended reading
Acknowledgements
References
Chapter 13 Visual methods in health professions research: purpose, challenges and opportunities
Using visuals in health professions education research
When to use visual methods and why
What do visual methods look like? Epistemological roots and key features
On rich pictures
On photo-elicitation and photovoice
How to use visual methods
Challenges of using visual methods
Ethics
Dissemination
Conclusion – and new frontiers
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 14 Critical discourse analysis: questioning what we believe to be ‘true’
What is a discourse
Why is discourse important?
Discourse analysis
Critical discourse analysis
Building an archive
Genealogy
Opening the can of worms
Limitations of and alternatives to foucauldian discourse analysis
A return to the curriculum problem
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 15 Functional and corpus linguistics in health professions education research: the study of language in use
Functional linguistics in health professions education research: making choices to make meaning
Functional linguistics in Health Professions Education Research (HPER): attending to educators’ choices
Conclusion: functional linguistics offers a wealth of tools
Corpus linguistics in HPE research: a pragmatic, accommodating approach to language in use
Corpus linguistics: a big tent theory
Corpus linguistics and HPE
Access to corpus linguistics tools
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 16 Challenging epistemological hegemonies: researching inequity and discrimination in health professions education
Moving from numbers to words: a plea for theory–praxis linkage
Equity seeking versus sovereignty seeking groups: indigeneity and decolonising health professions education research
Critical pedagogy – researching praxis towards social justice
Participatory Action Research (PAR)
Back to the case
Critical reflexivity and inclusive anti-racist research in health professions education
Transformational methodologies for greater social justice in medical education
Conclusion
References
Chapter 17 Educational neuroscience: current status and future opportunities
Research methods in educational neuroscience
Neuroimaging: (functional) magnetic resonance imaging
Neuroimaging: electroencephalography and event-related potentials
Computational neuroscience
Educational neuroscience in practice
Reading
Memory
Clinical reasoning
Conclusion
References
Part III Theory informing health professions education research
Chapter 18 Sticking with messy realities: how ‘thinking with complexity’ can inform health professions education research
Part I: Introduction and deliberations
Simple, complicated and complex problems/systems
Complexity and healthcare management
Part II: Application
Complexity in health and health professions education research: some key, illustrative examples
Part III: Considerations
Resistance and the desire for reduction and linearity
Conclusion
References
Chapter 19 Getting active: using activity theory to manage change
Philosophical position
Position statement
Theoretical concepts
Mediated action
Historicity
Dialectical materialism
Expansive learning
Three generations of AT: origins and evolutions
Case study 1: pandemic-induced change in primary healthcare activity
Getting practical: change laboratory
Case study 2: OSCEs as activity system
Where AT fits with other theories
Strengths and limitations of AT
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 20 Attuning to materiality: sociomaterial research in health professions education
Why researching matter matters
Examples of research and synthesis of underpinning principles
Sociomaterial theories
Practice theories
Actor-Network Theory
Agential realism
Research approaches
Post-qualitative research
Sociomaterial ethnography
What is the role of interviews?
Document analysis and interview-adjacent methods
Analytic methods
The role of the researcher in sociomaterial research
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 21 Social cognitive theory: thinking and learning in social settings
Theoretical foundations of SCT
Bandura: behaviouralism and triadic reciprocity
Bruner: culture is an important element in SCT
Lave and Wenger: learning is social and collaborative
Situated cognition, distributed cognition, ecological psychology, situated learning and landscapes of practice: theory and principles
Situated cognition
Distributed cognition
Ecological psychology
Situated learning
Landscapes of practice
Examples of applying SCT in healthcare professions education
Self-efficacy
Communities of practice
Landscapes of practice
Distributed cognition in group learning, technology and decision-making processes
Conclusion
References
Chapter 22 Learning and participatory practices at work: understanding and appraising learning through workplace experiences
Key conceps, definitions and distinctions
Learning through clinical practice
Investigating participatory practices in healthcare
Case study 1: junior doctors and pharmacists’ co-working and learning
Case study 2: midwifery students’ clinical learning
Advances, cautions and limitations
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 23 Health behaviour theories: a conceptual lens to explore behaviour change
What health behaviour theories offer to HPE research
The origins of health behaviour theories
How HBT has informed HPE research
Health belief model (HBM)
Theory of reasoned action (TRA), theory of planned behaviour (TPB), integrated behavioural model (IBM) and reasoned action approach (RAA)
Transtheoretical model (TTM)
PRECEDE-PROCEED model
Theoretical domains framework
Eclectic approaches
Practical and research implications of using HBTs
Conclusion
Recommended reading
References
Chapter 24 Self-regulated learning in health profession education: theoretical perspectives and research methods
Defining self-regulation and self-regulated learning
Core assumptions and common features of SRL theories
Related concepts in HPE
Two influential SRL perspectives
Social-cognitive model of SRL
Social constructivist models of SRL
Summary
Methods for studying SRL in HPE
Questionnaires
Case studies
SRL microanalysis
Trace methods
Triangulating multiple methods
Future directions in SRL theory, research and practice
Conclusion
References
Chapter 25 Emotions and learning: cognitive theoretical and methodological approaches to studying the influence of emotions on learning
Defining the terms
Conceptual foundations
The structure of emotion
Incidental versus integral emotions
Theoretical approaches
Mechanisms of action
Cognitive resources
Strategies of learning and problem-solving
Memory
Self-regulation
Interest and motivation
Inducing and measuring emotions
Emotion induction tactics
Challenges associated with inducing emotions
Measuring emotions
Recent explorations of, and future directions for, emotion in medical education
Clinical reasoning
Assessment, self-regulation and maintenance of expertise
Conclusion
References
Chapter 26 Research on instructional design in the health professions: from taxonomies of learning to whole-task models
The ADDIE model
The analysis phase
Taxonomies of learning
Cognitive task analysis
The design and development phases
Learning tasks
Supportive information
Procedural information and part-task practice
Development: Instructional media
The implementation and evaluation phases
Implementation: Preparing staff, students and the organisation
Evaluation
Conclusion
References
Chapter 27 Cognitive load theory: researching and planning teaching to maximise learning
Introduction
Cognitive architecture
Cognitive load: the basics
Cognitive load: recent developments
On the measurement of cognitive load
Cognitive load effects
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 28 Deliberate practice and mastery learning: origins of expert medical performance
Powerful medical education
Deliberate practice and mastery learning
Deliberate practice
Ten essential features of deliberate practice
Mastery learning
Medical education examples
Procedure skill acquisition
Readiness for clinical practice
Complex clinical care and decision making
Patient education
The road ahead
Research agenda
Program implementation and maintenance
Conclusion
Acknowledgement
References
Chapter 29 Closing comments: building and sustaining capacity
The initial steps
Building a sustainable research programme
Focus
Support
Resources
Training
Strategic leadership
Conclusion
References
Chapter 30 Conclusion
References
Index
EULA
