Applying activity theory to undergraduate medical curriculum reform

Lessons in contradictions from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID21448326
AuthorsMarcus Law (0000-0001-9746-6381, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Paula Veinot (0000-0002-8862-6694, Independent Research Consultant, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), Maria Mylopoulos (0000-0003-0012-5375, University of Toronto), M P Bryden (0000-0001-9230-5191, Department of Psychiatry, and Clinical Affairs and Professional Values, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Ryan Brydges (0000-0001-5203-7049, Technology-Enabled Education, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Year2022
Volume44
Issue7
Pages800-811
Publication date2022-07-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMedical Teacher (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0142-159X • E-ISSN: 1466-187X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0142159x.2022.2041190
PMID35199616
OpenAlexW4213432456
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited39

PURPOSE: Medical school curricula require regular updating. We adopted an activity theory lens to conduct a holistic, multiple stakeholder-informed analysis of curricular reform, aiming to understand how the social relations between groups contribute to unanticipated tensions and outcomes. METHODS: = 19) administrative staff, faculty course leads, faculty tutors, curriculum developers, change leaders and student leaders. The team applied a framework analysis to guide within and between stakeholder comparisons. RESULTS: = 17) contradictions underscoring emerging drivers of current and potential change. Unique contradictions raised by 1-2 groups represented seeds of change that had the potential to spread across all groups. By contrast, two general types of cross-cutting contradictions arose when one group had a dominant, confirming voice or two or more groups had contrasting perspectives. CONCLUSIONS: While finding contradictions was expected, our analysis profiled their nature and some of the specific tensions they raised across and within stakeholder groups. The activity theory lens provided an accessible way to unravel curricular reform into manageable units of analysis. Systematically identifying contradictions arising from curricular reform will help stakeholders collaborate with a shared purpose toward positive, sustained change

Activity Theory · Curriculum · MEDLINE · Stakeholder · Stakeholder Theory · Theory of change · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Occupational Therapy Practice and Research