Medical Education Disciplines in Comparison (MEDiC) Project: How health professionals navigate the epistemic ‘boundaries’ of educational research.

• In Event: Division H Vice President International Symposium: Epistemic Beliefs in Education: How Knowledge and Knowing Shape Teacher Practice Across Disciplines

Abstract

Objectives: Epistemic beliefs and cognition concern the nature of knowledge and knowing (Hofer, 2016). In professional education, they influence practitioners’ learning and perceptions of the value of educational research (Lofstrom & Pursiainen, 2015; Sjolie, 2017). Disciplinary backgrounds, such as in natural sciences, affect how educators evaluate educational research for practice (Guilfoyle et al., 2020). Medical educators, often with clinical research experience, engage with evidence-based practice, but how their backgrounds affect engagement with educational research is unclear. This study investigates how health professionals navigate epistemic boundaries in an MSc Medical Education.

Methods: We surveyed and interviewed 9 students and 5 faculty from the MSc programme, analyzing data through inductive and deductive coding (Hofer, 2000).

Results: Students varied in navigating epistemic tensions, highlighting programme features that supported or challenged them. Faculty were aware of the tensions but unsure of how to address them. These findings have implications for supporting interdisciplinary research-informed educational practice.

Authors

• Liam Guilfoyle, University of Oxford

• Danica Sims, University of Oxford

• Jenny Wynn, University of Oxford