ERIC Number: EJ1172323
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0260-2938
EISSN: N/A
Reflective Practicum in Higher Education: The Influence of the Learning Environment on the Quality of Learning
Bruno, Andreina; Dell'Aversana, Giuseppina
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, v43 n3 p345-358 2018
Sustaining students in becoming reflective practitioners is considered as a valued outcome of higher education. The paper aims to evaluate the impact of the learning environment conditions inspired by Schön's theory of reflective practicum, by discussing a case study of a master's degree class. The learning environment was designed to sustain reflective practice and meaningful engagement through professional practice simulation, problem-based learning and reflective writing. Unlike much of the research into reflective learning, the quality of learning was evaluated by assessing the use of reflective practice in students' weekly journaling, rather than measuring students' satisfaction or perceptions of effectiveness. Two hundred and six journal entries of 23 students were assessed and used in a quantitative analysis based on a linear mixed-effects model. Findings indicated that the reflective practicum has an incremental effect on students' reflective practices and that reflective practice is dynamic and sensitive to specific learning environment conditions. In conclusion, students' co-responsibility of the learning environment allowed by the professional practice simulation appears to foster meaningful and reflective learning. Conversely, conditions that stimulate only cognitive engagement have little impact or even inhibit reflective practices. Practical implications of the use of reflective journal are discussed.
Descriptors: Reflection, Practicums, Higher Education, Educational Environment, Educational Quality, Active Learning, Psychology, Masters Programs, Graduate Students, Case Studies, Foreign Countries, Masters Degrees, Student Journals, Statistical Analysis, Journal Writing, Diaries, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Italy
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A