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A Qualitative Analysis of Student Reflections on Public Health Internships

Authors :
Cecilia Woon Chien Teng
Raymond Boon Tar Lim
Claire Gek Ling Tan
Source :
Education & Training. 2024 66(10):58-74.
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Purpose: Reflective practice (RP) is a key skill for developing one's professional practice. It has, however, not been unanimously prioritised in public health (PH) competency and education frameworks. Reflection activities are often unstructured in higher education. There is also a dearth of literature on the RPs of undergraduate PH students. This study aims to explore in greater depth how RP helps undergraduate PH students explore their own learning in internships. Design/methodology/approach: Reflection prompts were designed using the DEAL model. 124 written reflection entries from 32 students were collected and analysed thematically using a deductive-inductive approach. The conceptual framework of internship learning goals by Ash and Clayton (2009) was used to guide the deductive analysis. Findings: Three themes were identified: initial engagement with reflective learning; gradual integration of reflective learning, and a transformative phase involving professional development, personal growth, civic learning, growth through struggle, being confronted with differences in expectations, and skill acquisition. Originality/value: This study extends the limited evidence regarding RP in undergraduate non-medical PH education, and contributes toward informing the revision of undergraduate PH programmes, for example, by integrating structured reflection earlier in the curricula, and establishing/supporting mentorship programmes between institutions. The findings call for PH educators to be more intentional in creating opportunities to nurture RP among budding PH professionals.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
0040-0912 and 1758-6127
Volume :
66
Issue :
10
Database :
ERIC
Journal :
Education & Training
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
EJ1426950
Document Type :
Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-07-2023-0302