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RESEARCH THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION RESEARCH

Seeing Critically

Teaching critical reflection can help health care workers

to become better advocates for their patients

ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM KEY FINDINGS
“The most exciting aspect of this project was the The results revealed that teaching critical reflection
team,” says Dr. Nicole Woods. “We had critical can shift the focus of health care professionals
pedagogy theorists, statisticians, students and towards more collaborative, compassionate and
cognitive psychologists. Everyone brought a equitable ways of thinking. The team tested the
different lens.” Dr. Stella Ng adds, “These approach in a group of students from various
different perspectives led us to use an innovative health care professions. The students attended an
approach. Other studies on critical pedagogy do online module focusing on social determinants of
not test hypotheses in real-life settings. This is not health, followed either by a reflective or a critically
common in the field, so our approach really speaks reflective dialogue exercise. The study revealed
to how interdisciplinary our team is.” that those who took part in the critically reflective
exercise were more likely to dig deeper and
consider how a patient’s unique situation, systemic
barriers or relationships affect care.

Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2022 Jan 1. doi: 10.1007/
s10459-021-10087-2. Supported by the Arrell Family Chair
in Health Professions Teaching, an Ontario Early Researcher
Award, and Women’s College Hospital Centre for Ambulatory
Care Education.
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