ERIC Number: EJ1026194
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0158-037X
EISSN: N/A
Critically Reflective Dialogues in Learning Communities of Professionals
de Groot, Esther; Endedijk, Maaike D.; Jaarsma, A. Debbie C.; Simons, P. Robert-Jan; van Beukelen, Peter
Studies in Continuing Education, v36 n1 p15-37 2014
Communities in which professionals share and create knowledge potentially support their continued learning. To realise this potential more fully, members are required to reflect critically. For learning at work such behaviour has been described as critically reflective work behaviour, consisting of six aspects: challenging groupthink, critical opinion sharing, an openness about mistakes, asking for and giving feedback, experimentation and research utilisation. We studied whether and how these aspects can be distinguished in dialogues of seven different communities of veterinary professionals (critically reflective dialogues). Our exploration of the nature of critically reflective dialogues resulted in an analytical framework. Within each aspect four different modes of communication were identified: interactive, on an individual basis, non-reflective and restricted. We assume that professionals use learning opportunities most in the interactive mode of communication. The framework was employed to study the extent to which dialogues showed these modes of critically reflective dialogues. The results demonstrate that in these communities the modes of communication within aspects were largely non-interactive (i.e., individual, non-reflective). The developed framework discriminates between communities in terms of their critically reflective dialogues. Interventions to improve the effectiveness of learning communities should focus on enhancement of members addressing each other's reasons and reflections.
Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Reflection, Veterinary Medicine, Health Personnel, Professional Development, Dialogs (Language), Communication (Thought Transfer), Discourse Modes, Research Utilization, Feedback (Response), Opinions, Sharing Behavior, Foreign Countries, Qualitative Research, Content Analysis
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Netherlands
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A