Examining critical reflection skills in an undergraduate gerontology course
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21537693 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christine Sheppard (0000-0002-6487-3287, University of Waterloo), Jia Gilani (University of Waterloo), Elena Netierman (0000-0001-6767-6169, University of Waterloo, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Pages | 536-548 |
| Publication date | 2022-11-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Educational Gerontology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0360-1277 • E-ISSN: 1521-0472 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03601277.2022.2047505 |
| OpenAlex | W4214826129 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 28 |
Experiential learning and reflection activities are often used to enhance students’ understanding of and attitudes toward aging; however, deep reflection is difficult to achieve, and research shows students demonstrate varying abilities to reflect. This study examined the extent to which students in a third-year gerontology course were able to engage in reflection after completing an assignment that included an interview with an older adult. Data included 72 student-written reflections that were classified as descriptive, analytical, or critical based on their depth. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to understand what students reflected on within their experience and how this varied across levels of reflection. Overall, the assignment fostered a greater understanding of aging and prompted students to think more about what they wanted for their own aging process. Most students, however, reflected at the descriptive (32%) or analytical (50%) level; only 18% engaged in a critical reflection, indicating that critical reflection was not a skill demonstrated by all students. We make recommendations on how to enhance experiential learning activities to encourage critical reflection among students, including more structured and frequent reflection activities, more interactions with an older adult to build a deeper relationship and learn more about their life experiences, and more opportunities to develop qualitative interviewing skills
Critical thinking · Experiential learning · Interview · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Higher Education and Employability · Medicine · Nursing education and management · Psychology · Reflective Practices in Education
Generating, Deepening, and Documenting Learning
Reflection and reflective practice in health professions education
Teaching and Learning in the Social Context
“I was giving someone who didn’t have a voice a voice”
Qualitative methods for health research
Development of a Questionnaire to Measure the Level of Reflective Thinking
A four‐category scheme for coding and assessing the level of reflection in written work
Interventions to Reduce Ageism Against Older Adults
Reflection
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |