Informal Learning Opportunities Matter: The Interprofessional Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Speech Pathology Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v3i2.225Keywords:
clinical placements, Interprofessional learning, qualitative method, speech pathology studentsAbstract
Despite increasing recognition of the importance of interprofessional learning (IPL) for interprofessional practice, it is unclear how and where speech pathology students are developing their interprofessional competencies within the university curriculum. This study aimed to clarify how interprofessional competencies develop in students by using a qualitative approach to explore speech pathology students’ perceptions of their university interprofessional learning experiences. Nine individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Two major themes emerged: (i) occurrence of informal interprofessional learning (including informal IPL opportunities/context and its contribution to interprofessional learning experiences), and (ii) factors influencing interprofessional learning (role of placement, clinical educators and student’s motivation to engage in IPL activities). Participants reported valuing their interprofessional learning experiences, which were mainly informal interactions with professionals that occurred during clinical placements. The findings suggest that informal interprofessional learning experiences are a valuable source of interprofessional learning which can assist students to develop competencies for interprofessional practice. Recommendations for universities to more effectively support students’ interprofessional learning are provided.
References
Anderson, E. S., and Thorpe, L. (2010) ‘Learning together in practice: an interprofessional education programme to appreciate teamwork’. The Clinical Teacher 7 (1), 19–25.
doi: 10.1111/j.1743-498X.2009.00331.x
Berger, R. (2015) ‘Now I see it, now I don’t: Researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research’. Qualitative Research 15 (2), 219–234. doi: 10.1177/1468794112468475
Braun, V., and Clarke, V. (2006) ‘Using thematic analysis in psychology’. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2), 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Copley, J. A., Allison, H. D., Hill, A. E., Moran, M. C., Tait, J. A., and Day, T. (2007) ‘Making interprofessional education real: A university clinic model’. Australian Health Review 31 (3), 351–357. doi:10.1071/AH070351
Creswell, J. W. (2013) Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. 3rd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
DiVall, M. V., Kolbig, L., Carney, M., Kirwin, J., Letzeiser, C., and Mohammed, S. (2014) ‘Interprofessional socialization as a way to introduce collaborative competencies to first-year health science students’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 28 (6), 576–578.
doi: 10.3109/13561820.2014.917403
Freeth, D. (2010) ‘Interprofessional Education’. In Understanding Medical Education: Evidence, Theory and Practice. ed. by Swanwick, T. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 53–68
Freeth, D., Hammick, M., Reeves, S., Koppel, I., and Barr, H. (2005) Effective Interprofessional Education: Development, Delivery and Evaluation. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing
Gilbert, J. H. V. (2005) ‘Interprofessional learning and higher education structural barriers’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 19 (S1), 87–106. doi:10.1080/13561820500067132
Goldberg, L.R. (2015) ‘The importance of interprofessional education for students in communication sciences and disorders’. Communication Disorders Quarterly 36 (2), 121–125. doi:10.1177/1525740114544701
Gomm, R., Needham, G., and Bullman, A. (2000) Evaluating Research in Health and Social Care. London: Sage
Green, J,. and Thorogood, N. (2009) Qualitative Methods for Health Research. 2nd edn. London: Sage
Guest, G., Bunce, A., and Johnson, L. (2006) ‘How many interviews are enough?: An experiment with data saturation and variability’. Field Methods 18 (1), 59–82. doi:10.1177/1525822X05279903
Hsieh, H. and Shannon, S. E. (2005) ‘Three approaches to qualitative content analysis’. Qualitative Health Research 15 (9), 1277–1288. doi:10.1177/1049732305276687
Lachmann, H., Ponzer, S., Johansson, U., Benson, L., and Karlgren, K. (2013) ‘Capturing students' learning experiences and academic emotions at an interprofessional training ward’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 27 (2), 137–145.
doi: 10.3109/13561820.2012.724124
Lietz, C. A., Langer, C. L., and Furman, R. (2006) ‘Establishing trustworthiness in qualitative research in social work: Implications from a study regarding spirituality’. Qualitative Social Work 5 (4), 441–458. doi:10.1177/1473325006070288
Kent, F., Drysdale, P., Martin, N., and Keating, J.L. (2014) ‘The mixed-discipline aged-care student clinic: An authentic interprofessional learning initiative’. Journal of Allied Health 43 (1), 51–56.
Morison, S., Boohan, M., Jenkins, J., and Moutray, M. (2003) ‘Facilitating undergraduate interprofessional learning in healthcare: Comparing classroom and clinical learning for nursing and medical students’. Learning in Health and Social Care 2 (2), 92–104. doi:10.1046/j.1473-6861.2003.00043.x
Morrison, S. C., Lincoln, M. A., and Reed, V. A. (2011) ‘How experienced speech-language pathologists learn to work on teams’. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 13 (4), 369–377. doi:10.3109/17549507.2011.529941
Murray-Davis, B., Marshall, M., and Gordon, F. (2014) ‘Becoming an interprofessional practitioner: Factors promoting the application of pre-qualification learning to professional practice in maternity care’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 28 (1), 8–14. doi:10.3109/13561820.2013.820690
Nisbet, G., Hendry, G., Rolls, G. D., and Field, M. J. (2008) ‘Interprofessional learning for pre-qualification health care students: An outcomes-based evaluation’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 22 (1), 57–57. doi: 10.1080/13561820701722386
Nisbet, G., Lincoln, M., and Dunn, S. (2013) ‘Informal interprofessional learning: An untapped opportunity for learning and change within the workplace’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 27 (6), 469–475. doi:10.3109/13561820.2013.805735
Pechak, C., Gonzalez, E., Summers, C., and Capshaw, S. (2013) ‘Interprofessional education: A pilot study of rehabilitation sciences students participating in interdisciplinary international service-learning’. Journal of Allied Health 42 (3), 61E-66E
Pelling, S., Kalen, A., Hammar, M., and Wahlström, O. (2011) ‘Preparation for becoming members of health care teams: Findings from a 5-year evaluation of a student interprofessional training ward’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 25 (5), 328–332.
doi: 10.3109/13561820.2011.578222
Pollard, K. C. (2008) ‘Non-formal learning and interprofessional collaboration in health and social care: The influence of the quality of staff interaction on student learning about collaborative behaviour in practice placements’. Learning in Health and Social Care 7 (1), 12–26. doi:10.1111/j.1473-6861.2008.00169.x
Reeves, S. (2000) ‘Community‐based interprofessional education for medical, nursing and dental students’. Health and Social Care in the Community 8 (4), 269–276. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2524.2000.00251.x
Ruiz, M. G., Ezer, H., and Purden, M. (2013) ‘Exploring the nature of facilitating interprofessional learning: Findings from an exploratory study’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 27 (6), 489–495. doi:10.3109/13561820.2013.811640
Russell, L., Nyhof-Young, J., Abosh, B., and Robinson, S. (2006) ‘An exploratory analysis of an interprofessional learning environment in two hospital clinical teaching units’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 20 (1), 29–39. doi:10.1080/13561820500476473
Speech Pathology Australia (2011) Competency-based Occupational Standards for Speech Pathologists: Entry level. [online] available from http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/library/Core_Assoc_Doc/CBOS_for_Speech_Pathologists_2011.pdf [25 November 2014]
Thistlethwaite, J. (2012) ‘Interprofessional education: A review of context, learning and the research agenda’. Medical Education 46 (1), 58–70.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.04143.x
Thistlethwaite, J., and Moran, M. on behalf of the World Health Organization Study Group on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (2010) ‘Learning outcomes for interprofessional education (IPE): Literature review and synthesis’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 24 (5), 503–513. doi:10.3109/13561820.2010.483366
Wright, A., Hawkes, G., Baker, B., and Lindqvist, S. M. (2012) ‘Reflections and unprompted observations by healthcare students of an interprofessional shadowing visit’. Journal of Interprofessional Care 26 (4), 305–311. doi:10.3109/13561820.2012.678507
World Health Organization (2010) Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. [online] available from http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2010/WHO_HRH_HPN_10.3_eng.pdf [1 December 2015]
Zarezadeh, Y., Pearson, P., and Dickinson, C. (2009) ‘A model for using reflection to enhance interprofessional education’. International Journal of Education 1 (1), E12.
doi: 10.5296/ije.v1i1.191
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons License "Attribution-NonCommercial No Derivs 4.0 International" (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) which permits others to use the publication as long as the authors are appropriately cited.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The Author grants to Coventry University an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide, non-exclusive licence to publish this article in this journal in addition to the licence granted at paragraph 1 of this copyright notice.
