Researching Medical Education

Researching Medical Education is an authoritative guide to excellence in educational research in the health professions. Presented by the Association for the Study of Medical Education and the Association for Medical Education in Europe, Researching Medical Education includes contributions from a team of international clinicians and non–clinical researchers in health education, representing a range of disciplines and backgrounds.

This accessible reference provides readers with the basic building blocks of research, introduces a range of theories and how to use them, illustrates a diversity of methods and their use, and gives guidance on practical researcher development.

By linking theory and design and methods across the health profession education research spectrum, this book supports the improvement of quality, capacity building and knowledge generation. Researching Medical Education is the ideal resource for anyone researching health education, from undergraduate, through postgraduate training, to continuing professional development.

Contributors

Foreword

Foreword from ASME

Foreword from AMEE

Preface

Acknowledgements

Part 1: A primer of healthcare

education research

1 Exploring versus measuring:

considering the fundamental differences

between qualitative and quantitative

research

Jennifer Cleland

2 Theory in healthcare education

research: the importance of worldview

Wendy McMillan

3 Literature reviews: who is the audience?

Geoff Wong

4 Developing the research question:

setting the course for your research

travels

Juanita Bezuidenhout and Susan van Schalkwyk

5 Power analyses: planning, conducting

and evaluating education research

R. Brent Stansfield and Larry Gruppen

Part 2: Theory informing educational

research

6 Constructivism: learning theories and

approaches to research

Karen Mann and Anna MacLeod

7 Making visible what matters:

sociomaterial approaches for research

and practice in healthcare education

Tara Fenwick and Graham R. Nimmo

8 Sticking with messy realities: how

‘thinking with complexity’ can inform

healthcare education research

Alan Bleakley and Jennifer Cleland

9 Activity theory: mediating research in

medical education

Jenny Johnston and Tim Dornan

10 Social cognitive theory: thinking and

learning in social settings

Dario Torre and Steven Durning

11 Understanding and appraising

healthcare students’ learning through

workplace experiences: participatory

practices at work

Stephen Billett and Linda Sweet

12 Theoretical perspectives on identity:

researching identities in healthcare

education

Lynn V. Monrouxe and Charlotte E. Rees

13 Health behaviour theories: a conceptual

lens to explore behaviour change

Francois Cilliers, Lambert Schuwirth and Cees

van der Vleuten

14 Self–regulated learning in healthcare

profession education: theoretical

perspectives and research methods

Anthony R. Artino, Ryan Brydges and Larry

D. Gruppen

15 What are values and how can we assess

them? implications for values–based

recruitment in healthcare

Fiona Patterson, Máire Kerrin, Marise Ph.

Born, Janneke K. Oostrom and Linda

Prescott–Clements

16 Emotions and learning: cognitive

theoretical and methodological

approaches to studying the influence of

emotions on learning

Meghan McConnell and Kevin Eva

17 Research on instructional design in the

health sciences: from taxonomies of

learning to whole–task models

Jeroen J. G. van Merrienboer and

Diana H. J. M. Dolmans

18 Cognitive load theory: researching and

planning teaching to maximise learning

Jimmie Leppink, Tamara van Gog, Fred Paas

and John Sweller

19 Deliberate practice and mastery

learning origins of expert medical

performance

William C. McGaghie and Theresa Kristopaitis

20 Reframing research on widening

participation in medical education:

using theory to inform practice

Sandra Nicholson and Jennifer Cleland

21 Qualitative research methodologies:

embracing methodological borrowing,

shifting and importing

Lara Varpio, Maria Athina Martimianakis and

Maria Mylopoulos

Part 3: Developing your practice as

an educational researcher

22 How to tell compelling scientific stories:

tips for artful use of the research

manuscript and presentation genres

Lorelei Lingard and Erik Driessen

23 Leadership, management and

mentoring: applying theory to practice

Judy McKimm and Helen O’Sullivan

24 Programmatic research: building and

sustaining capacity

David Taylor and Trevor Gibbs

25 Conclusion

Jennifer Cleland and Steven Durning

Index

Professor Jennifer Cleland is John Simpson Chair of Medical Education, University of Aberdeen, and Chair, Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME)

Professor Steven J. Durning is Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, and Chair, Association for Medical Education Europe (AMEE) Research Group

A refreshing scholarly milestone, comprehensively synthesizing the evidence of research in medical education. A true inspiration for innovating our educational practices. (Cees van der Vleuten, Scientific Director of the Graduate School of Health Professions Education, Maastricht University, The Netherlands)

This is a book of immense scope and rich in diverse range of topics written by contemporary thought leaders in medical education. It bridges the theory and practice of medical education research from a global perspective. (Zubair Amin, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Educator, National University of Singapore)

Balancing the complexities and practicalities of medical education research is a challenging task. Researching Medical Education strikes that balance by providing theoretical frameworks, practical tips and examples of best research practices; essential reading for anyone engaged in rigorous educational research in the health professions. (David M. Irby, Professor of Medicine at University College San Francisco)