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Examining Critical Reflection Skills in an Undergraduate Gerontology Course

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Title: Examining Critical Reflection Skills in an Undergraduate Gerontology Course
Language: English
Authors: Sheppard, Christine L. (ORCID 0000-0002-6487-3287), Gilani, Jia, Neiterman, Elena (ORCID 0000-0001-6767-6169)
Source: Educational Gerontology. 2022 48(11):536-548.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2022
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Reflection, Experiential Learning, Student Attitudes, Aging (Individuals), Gerontology, Undergraduate Students, Critical Thinking, Interviews, Age Differences, Discussion, Generational Differences
DOI: 10.1080/03601277.2022.2047505
ISSN: 0360-1277
1521-0472
Abstract: 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.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2022
Accession Number: EJ1359616
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0159605020;egr01nov.22;2022Oct14.01:55;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0159605020-1">Examining critical reflection skills in an undergraduate gerontology course </title> <sbt id="AN0159605020-2">Introduction</sbt> <p>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.</p> <p>Experiential learning is considered a cornerstone of gerontological education (Babic & Crangle, [<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref1">5</reflink>]; Gendron et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref2">11</reflink>]). Opportunities to build relationships with older adults through experiential learning have numerous benefits for students, including enhancing understanding of aging processes (Kilaberia & Ratner, [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref3">21</reflink>]; Merz et al., [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref4">25</reflink>]; Neiterman et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref5">26</reflink>]; Sudha & Morrison, [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref6">32</reflink>]), translating aging theories into practice (Horowitz et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref7">17</reflink>]; Neiterman et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref8">26</reflink>]), improving attitudes toward older people and reducing ageism (Andreoletti & Howard, [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref9">2</reflink>]; Burnes et al., [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref10">7</reflink>]; Gardner & Alegre, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref11">10</reflink>]), as well as encouraging students to choose careers in gerontology (Gardner & Alegre, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref12">10</reflink>]; Gutheil et al., [<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref13">14</reflink>]; Horowitz et al., [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref14">17</reflink>]). Learning activities that incorporate older adult-student interactions have also been shown to promote academic, personal, and social development among students (Conway et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref15">8</reflink>]; Simons & Cleary, [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref16">31</reflink>]).</p> <p>The benefits of experiential learning activities come not just from interacting with older people, but also from reflecting critically on the experience (Bringle & Hatcher, [<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref17">6</reflink>]). Reflection as a learning method helps to create new meaning and understanding (Hatcher et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref18">15</reflink>]; Low & Sonntag, [<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref19">22</reflink>]). Integrating reflective activities into curriculum can also improve engagement with the material (Gostelow & Gishen, [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref20">12</reflink>]), help students make sense of complex social situations and foster life-long learning (Eyler, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref21">9</reflink>]; Mann et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref22">24</reflink>]). A critical reflection process should generate, deepen, and document learning (Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref23">4</reflink>]). Furthermore, reflections that are structured, regularly completed, and clarify values can enhance learning experiences for students (Hatcher et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref24">15</reflink>]).</p> <p>In gerontology, reflection is a critically important skill. The Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref25">1</reflink>]) describes the role of self-reflection in developing a gerontological perspective and suggests that students need opportunities to critique and analyze their assumptions about aging, as well as reflect on their work to promote continuous learning. Furthermore, personal reflection is thought to be a key mechanism for fostering professionalism among gerontology students (Schoenmakers et al., [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref26">29</reflink>]).</p> <p>As a result, many educators in the field of gerontology use reflection in conjunction with experiential learning activities to help students apply their knowledge of aging processes and explore their expectations and assumptions about aging (Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref27">18</reflink>]). Lun ([<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref28">23</reflink>]) examined how a self-awareness approach through direct connection with gerontology professionals and older adults improved aging competencies and found that the self-reflections increased students' understanding of the aging process and helped develop new perspectives on aging issues. Similarly, Villar et al. ([<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref29">33</reflink>]) found that in the process of listening to and reflecting on life stories of older adults, the reflection fostered a deeper understanding of aging-related theories and concepts, and was instrumental in helping students articulate the life lessons they derived from the interview.</p> <p>Building on this research, Gardner and Alegre ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref30">10</reflink>]) analyzed reflective journal entries from undergraduate health science students completing an intergenerational service learning project and found that interviews with older adults not only enhanced awareness of age-related issues, but challenged preconceived notions about aging and prompted action in response to how students were thinking and feeling. The authors pointed out several instances where students applied their new insights to their life outside of the service-learning project, including talking to their parents about aging, noticing and smiling at older adults that they meet, and making plans to connect with older neighbors and family members.</p> <p>Even though reflective writing is widely used in gerontological education, course instructors may face challenges when they attempt to facilitate reflective thinking (Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref31">3</reflink>]). In one study, instructors teaching gerontology courses noticed that students struggled to develop and apply critical reflection skills; they felt that students had difficulty connecting their experiences interacting with an older adult to the course lectures and readings (Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref32">18</reflink>]). This is consistent with other research suggesting that students' reflection skills may vary, and that deep reflection is difficult to achieve (Mann et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref33">24</reflink>]). For example, Kember et al. ([<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref34">19</reflink>]) measured reflective thinking in allied health undergraduate and post-graduate students and found that critical reflection (the deepest level of reflection) was uncommon, and this was especially true for undergraduate students. Niemi ([<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref35">27</reflink>]) examined reflective abilities among medical students and found that committed reflection, a type of reflection accompanied by critical thinking and perspective taking, was the most mature level of thinking, yet the least common. Instead, students engaged in objective or avoidant reporting, where their reflection focused exclusively on describing events and not on their experience or emotional reactions (Niemi, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref36">27</reflink>]). Pearson and Heywood ([<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref37">28</reflink>]) reported a similar finding among medical professionals, noting that 65% used their reflective journal to record data, while only 42% used it to reflect on their learning.</p> <p>While gerontological education emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and reflective activities for fostering aging competencies, not all students have the skills to engage in critical reflection (Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref38">18</reflink>]; Mann et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref39">24</reflink>]). For instance, critical reflection can be challenging for students who are in the beginning of their post-secondary training (Kember et al., [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref40">19</reflink>]) and/or for those who have less experience with this practice. Gerontology research has yet to examine how reflection skills impact the ways students discuss their experiences. For instance, while previous studies discussed how reflection activities increase students' understanding of aging processes and issues (Lun, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref41">23</reflink>]; Villar et al., [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref42">33</reflink>]), they do not take into account students' reflection skills, which are known to impact learners' ability to connect their experiences to course content (Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref43">18</reflink>]). Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine how students in a third-year social gerontology course reflected on an experiential learning activity that involved conducting an interview with an older adult and analyzing their life story. Therefore, we explored (a) what aspect of the learning experience students reflected on, and (b) how the level or depth of their reflection impacted their learning. Our overarching goal was to develop recommendations that could enhance the learning activity to promote deeper reflection among students.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-3">Methods</hd> <p>This study utilized qualitative methodological approach, which is particularly useful for exploring individuals' thoughts, ideas, and experiences (Silverman, [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref44">30</reflink>]). To examine how students reflected on their learning experiences, we analyzed their written reflections using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches. The ethics clearance for this study was obtained from the University of Waterloo (ORE #40162). Below we provide more details on the assignment, participants, and our analytic approach.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-4">Students' reflections: the assignment</hd> <p>The data utilized for this study was derived from the written reflections submitted by students enrolled in a third-year interdisciplinary social gerontology course offered in Health Studies, Kinesiology, Public Health, Recreation and Leisure Studies, and Sociology. A total of 172 students were enrolled in the course and completed a major course assignment whereby they conducted an interview with an older adult and (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref45">1</reflink>) transcribed and summarized the life story; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref46">2</reflink>) analyzed the life-story using relevant theories learned in class; and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref47">3</reflink>) critically reflected on what they learned from this experience, focusing on how their aging process might compare to that of their participant.</p> <p>The assignment was scaffolded across the term (see Figure 1). First, students recruited an older adult for an interview using pre-approved recruitment materials. All individuals who self-identified as an older adult were eligible to participate. Students then conducted semi-structured interviews using a pre-approved interview guide that examined life experiences, key transitions, and major life events of the participant. While the semi-structured interview guide included questions and prompts on the aforementioned topics, students were expected to ask follow-up questions based on the accounts provided by their participant. Interviews lasted between 30 and 60 minutes and were conducted in-person or via a virtual platform. Due to recruitment challenges, students were able to complete the interview in pairs. Students then transcribed their interview and received feedback from the course teaching assistants to help them reflect on their experience.</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. 7-Step Process for Completing the Assignment</p> <p>Students were expected to write up the life story of their participant, using the data collected during the interview as a foundation for the story. They then submitted a paper where they (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref48">1</reflink>) summarized the life story of their participant; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref49">2</reflink>) analyzed the life story using one of the theories discussed in the course; and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref50">3</reflink>) reflected on their experiences with the interview process, analysis, and theory application. They were given specific instructions to consider what they learned and how their aging process may be similar or different to what their participant described. Students then participated in a blinded peer-review activity; they reviewed and provided feedback on papers of their peers, as well as received and integrated feedback on their own paper from their teaching assistants and peers. Following this peer review process, students had an opportunity to revise and resubmit the paper for re-evaluation.</p> <p>In-class workshops were offered throughout the term to provide support on each step of the assignment. Topics covered included participant recruitment, qualitative interviewing, transcription, data analysis, interpretation, and critical reflection. The critical reflection workshop provided students with tips on how to write a high-quality personal reflection about their experience completing this assignment. Students were introduced to the reflection framework (described below) to support them in writing a critical reflection. Students also were shown all three levels of reflection (i.e., descriptive, analytical and critical) but were instructed to aim for a critical reflection to achieve the highest grade for this section of the assignment.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-5">Study participants</hd> <p>The research team emailed all students enrolled in the class inviting them to have their personal reflection included in this project. Invitations were several months after the course was completed in order to comply with the Office of Research Ethics' request to ensure that students did not feel coerced to participate in the study. A total of 72 students (41.8%) agreed to have their reflections analyzed by the research team. The sample was reflective of overall course enrollment, with students predominately from Public Health and Health Studies (n = 32), followed by Kinesiology (n = 20), Recreation and Leisure studies (n = 13) and Sociology (n = 7). Upon receiving permission from the student, a designated member of the research team downloaded their written assignment from the course website, removed all identifiable information, and added it to the database for analysis.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-6">Data Analysis</hd> <p>We used a combination of deductive and inductive thematic analysis to analyze the written reflections. For the deductive analysis, we relied on the reflection framework from the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo (Holmes, [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref51">16</reflink>]). to classify personal reflections as <emph>descriptive thought, analytical reflection, or critical reflection</emph> based on the extent to which students were able to reflect on their experience with the assignment (see Table 1).</p> <p>Table 1. Overview of reflection framework.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Reflection</td><td>Description</td><td>Fundamental questions</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Descriptive Thought</td><td>Describes events/situations (e.g., who, what, when, where) with limited integration with course content Limited connection to personal experiences or real-life applications.</td><td>What happened?</td></tr><tr><td>Analytical Reflection</td><td>Relates events to course content. Includes personal insights and begins thinking about how learnings could be relevant to other real-life situations.</td><td>What happened and why? How do I feel about the situation? What did I learn?</td></tr><tr><td>Critical Reflection</td><td>Examines the reasons behind why a particular situation or event occurred. Discusses assumptions and root causes of events or situations. Explores their personal experiences with the event, and examines the implications of their learning, including how it will impact their life or future decision making.</td><td>How did this happen and why? What if ... ? How do I know this? How do I feel about the situation and <italic>why</italic>? What did I learn and why is it important for me to learn this/how will I use this?</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>Two members of the research team independently classified each reflection as descriptive, analytical, or critical, using consensus to resolve discrepancies. Upon completion of this part of the analysis, we moved on to reading the reflections again, this time analyzing them inductively, using a thematic method outlined by Green and Thorogood ([<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref52">13</reflink>]). The initial coding scheme was developed after two authors independently read and coded five reflections, first focusing on the key themes within each reflection and then identifying commonly recurring patterns across all five reflections. The researchers then met, discussed the analysis, and developed a coding scheme that was subsequently applied to the rest of the data. Each reflection was first coded by one researcher and reviewed by a second to ensure accuracy and consistency. Findings from the thematic analysis were triangulated with the critical reflection assessment to examine how each theme was expressed across the three levels of reflections.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-7">Findings</hd> <p>Based on our analysis, most students were reflecting at a descriptive (n = 23, 32%) or analytical (n = 36, 50%) level. Only 18% (n = 13) of students engaged in a critical reflection. Students reflecting at a descriptive level predominately re-described the life story of their participant and identified key concepts from the course material that were evident in the interview; however, they were not able to clearly articulate what they learned or why their learning was important. In contrast, students reflecting at an analytical level began exploring their personal reactions to the interview and were able to reflect on what they learned using a relevant aging theory or framework presented in class. Critical reflections showed a personalized, deeper level of reflection, where students also examined how they felt during the interview and explored the implications of what they learned. These three levels of reflection were present across three themes exploring what students reflected on with respect to their learning experience: (<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref53">1</reflink>) I hope, I wish, I need; (<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref54">2</reflink>) How will my aging process will be similar or different; and (<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref55">3</reflink>) Reflecting with an emotional touch. Table 2 provides a high-level overview of these themes.</p> <p>Table 2. Overview of key themes.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td>Theme</td><td>Description</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>I hope, I wish, I need</td><td>Students discussed their hopes and desires for their own aging process, using phrases such as 'I hope,' 'I wish,' and 'I need.'</td></tr><tr><td>How my aging process will be similar or different?</td><td>Students discuss the similarities and differences between their life experiences and that of their older adult participant.</td></tr><tr><td>Reflecting with an emotional touch</td><td>Students discuss complex feelings or emotions that arose during the assignment and relate the life story of the participant to that of their own personal experiences and aspirations.</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <hd id="AN0159605020-8">I Hope, I wish, I Need</hd> <p>Students reflected on their hopes and desires for their own aging process. At the descriptive level, students usually provided a statement of what they hoped for in the future, considering the details from the stories shared by their participant. For instance, Tina from Health Studies interviewed John, who discussed how his retirement leisure activities centered around reading in efforts to remain an avid learner. In the reflection, Tina <emph>'hoped to be as committed to maintaining my brain health.'</emph> Other students talked about their hope to continue being active and maintain their happiness. For example, Bill from Kinesiology said that they <emph>'hope to live my life and do something to make [it] worthwhile and be happy,'</emph> while Ella from Health Studies described how <emph>'my hobbies and interests are something I hope I will always pursue no matter how old I may be.'</emph></p> <p>Many students reflecting at a descriptive level used a concentration of 'I hope' statements. For instance, Emily from Kinesiology wrote seven 'I hope' sentences, which took up almost half of her reflection. In the descriptive reflections, students mainly focused on envisioning their future older selves but did not make connections between the interview and the course content. They also did not articulate their personal reactions to the interview. In Emily's case, her 'I hope' statements focused exclusively on what she wanted for her future, with no connection to the interview, course content, or why these outcomes would be important for her.</p> <p>Similar to descriptive reflections, analytical reflections discussed hopes for successful aging through maintaining an active lifestyle, but students were able to make linkages to course content to support and explain their desires. For example, Carla from Health Studies applied her understanding of activity theory to describe her desire to maintain an active lifestyle as she ages, noting that '<emph>while my idea of activity may be different than someone who grew up on a farm or underwent physical training for work, I hope that my lifestyle and the choices I make will allow me to stay physically active, even after my retirement.'</emph></p> <p>Other students reflecting at an analytical level described 'life lessons' that they learned from their interviewee, which they felt would have an impact on their own aging process. For example, Adam from Health Studies wrote:</p> <p>Most important thing [I] learned from this will be to challenge my own views of aging as I experience it and to examine how society's expectations and norms shape my views and decision making. As I travel along my own life course trajectory [...], I will do my best to remember that life courses are continuous and do not have to follow a set path.</p> <p>In these examples, both Carla and Adam link their hopes for the future to the material they learned in class, using theoretical concepts from the cctivity theory and the life course perspective as anchors for their thoughts.</p> <p>For students reflecting at a critical level, variations of the 'I hope' statement tended to be minimal, and typically presented at the end of the reflection to conclude their thoughts. Instead, students engaging in critical reflection used their understanding of aging theories to explain their aspirations and described how things they learned from the interview will impact their decision making in the future. For example, Chloe from Health Studies stated:</p> <p>The lifecourse perspective has taught me that everything I do will ultimately affect what my future will be. Though agency prevails, extraneous factors [such as] the historical time, the society, and my family relationships also will influence my decisions [and, thus] the trajectory that leads me in life. I need to take extra precaution during major life transitions in my life, such as graduating from university, career choices, getting married, having kids, and so on, because these actions are the ones that are likely to cause the biggest impacts on my life trajectory.</p> <p>In Chloe's reflection, the connection between the course material and her own perception of aging is evident through her ability to not only apply concepts, but also to envision the aging process from the theoretical standpoint of the life course approach. Reflecting on her future, like Adam, she used the concepts from the life course perspective; however, unlike Adam, she tied these concepts to the overall description of her aging process and linked it to the life course theory.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-9">How will my aging process will be similar or different?</hd> <p>Since students were asked to consider similarities and differences between themselves and their participants, this theme appeared prominently in the written reflections. In descriptive reflections, students provided brief statements of the similarities and differences they felt were important to acknowledge, but failed to explain how or why they exist, or how they will impact their aging process. For example, Lisa from Kinesiology reflected that <emph>'as a female student living in the early 2000ʹs, I have experienced some similarities to [interviewee] when it comes to the feminist perspective, but a great deal is different as well.'</emph> Jay from Sociology reflected that they differ from their interviewee as <emph>'I am a male [and thus] I am not privy to the inequalities that women go through [...] in [their] career.'</emph> In both cases, the students were able to identify important similarities or differences when they compared themselves to their participant; however, they were unable to reflect on why this is important to acknowledge, or how it will impact their aging process in relation to what they learned from their participant.</p> <p>In analytical reflections, students examined the implications of the similarities and differences they observed by linking their reflection to course content and articulating how they think these factors will impact their life course trajectory. For example, Raina from Health Studies explained:</p> <p>[What I've] learned while interviewing my participant is that culture and the social context you were born in will influence your aging process and life choices. [...] Traditional gender roles provide an additional stressor for women as they maintain their responsibilities as a caregiver [and] older adults are more likely to adhere to their old traditional customs [whereas] the younger generation is more receptive to Western culture. [...] I feel that there will be differences in our aging process as we are both born in different generations, and cultural norms that were common in her generation will not be common in my generation [such as] expectations for me to balance the responsibilities as wife with my work responsibilities.</p> <p>Consistent with analytical level of reflection, Raina compared her experience to that of her participant, but also reflected on the implications of this analysis for her own life. In this excerpt, she focused on generational differences and cultural norms as an anchor for her comparison. The reference to these concepts also linked her reflection to class material.</p> <p>Students reflecting at a critical level took the analysis one step further by examining how their learning about the aging process will shape their decision making in the future to help illustrate why a particular similarity or a difference was important for them to reflect on. For example, Sarah from Health Studies used her understanding of the life course perspective to explain her insights in the following way:</p> <p>The timing of life decisions and how we exercise our right to personal agency impact the order in which we go through significant life transitions (e.g., marriage, graduation, childbearing, etc.). I have learned that while we can use our agency, we should be aware that the historical and social context in which we live will govern our life experiences.</p> <p>She then compared her aging process to that of her participant, describing that while her participant <emph>'had a shocking experience with aging because she fell ill and then was suddenly unable to take care of herself and her home, [...] my aging experience will be different because of the continuing improvements in health-care and technology.'</emph> Sarah concluded her reflection by acknowledging that her aging process is impacted by the decisions she makes and considered what her life might look like if she had made different choices: <emph>'If I had decided to get married young, like [my participant], it may have changed my views on receiving a higher education to improve the outcome of my life.'</emph></p> <hd id="AN0159605020-10">Reflecting with an emotional touch</hd> <p>While some students discussed complex feelings or emotions and related the life story of their participant to their own personal experiences and aspirations, others did not include emotion in their reflection and instead focused on discussing what they learned in the interview in relation to course content. This was particularly common in descriptive reflections, where students mostly focused on a key lesson that they learned from their interview, without including any personal connection to how this learning was relevant to a previous life experience and why. For example, George from Sociology described one of the main lessons from the interview in this manner:</p> <p>All in all, I learned that major attitudes and norms that are held in a culture have a significant impact on the life course of an individual. While the choice exists for some, there are plenty of other individuals who do not get the same opportunities. We must understand the importance of intersectionality when studying aging and retirement, as these factors have a significant influence on the quality of life one enjoys as they age.</p> <p>While this reflection shows that George recognized the importance of intersectionality in aging, his reflection appears to be structured as a set of statements and does not show engagement with the learned material. In analytic reflections, on the other hand, students tended to use more personal pronouns, often linking their experiences to personal events. For example, Ria from Health Studies said:</p> <p>When ending the conversation for this paper, he gave me some advice – stay educated. Although I agree that education is very important, I feel that the most applicable advice that he gave me was that the art of living is learning to adapt to what you did not expect. [...] Over this past summer, I went through a very traumatic car accident. I learned about the self-motivation that is needed in order to make a positive change in your life and how difficult agency is in practice. [...] Therefore, the idea of agency and resiliency and moving forward to set the road in which I travel is something that is very valuable and that I'll take away.</p> <p>In this excerpt, Ria linked her learning to her personal experience of trauma. This link demonstrated that Ria was able the apply the learning to her personal life – a component present in analytical reflections.</p> <p>In critical reflections, students were comfortable identifying and discussing emotional reactions to their interview and were able to explore the root cause of those emotions and how they informed key lessons they learned. For example, Jane from Health Studies described:</p> <p>During the interview, I felt guilty when Elizabeth explained her roles and responsibilities as a child, because growing up my parents were always around and my role as a child was to play. I didn't have chores or other responsibilities, which made me feel spoiled. Most importantly, I realized how fortunate I am to have been put on the trajectory I'm on and to have parents that provided me with favourable childhood experiences. [...]. Writing Elizabeth's story made me realize how important acquiring resiliency is early in life. In my own life, in my first year of university, it was difficult adjusting to a new way of studying and I ended up failing my physics course. I knew I could not drop out of school, so I repeated and passed the course and was proud that I did not quit. This experience taught me that failure is a normal part of life, and the best thing that you can do is accept it as a learning experience and move on.</p> <p>Jane's reflection shows deep emotional connection with her learning as she recalled her past experiences, but she also takes her analysis of her experience a bit further: she considers how and in what way her learning will impact her future life. In critical reflections, therefore, the emotional links that showed student engagement with their learning were also tied with resolutions pertaining to students' thoughts or actions.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-11">Discussion</hd> <p>This study examined how undergraduate students in a third-year social gerontology course reflected on their experiences conducting a life-story interview with an older adult. As demonstrated in previous research (Gardner & Alegre, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref56">10</reflink>]; Lun, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref57">23</reflink>]; Villar et al., [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref58">33</reflink>]), students in this study reflected that the assignment fostered a greater understanding of the aging process and encouraged them to think more about their own life course while comparing it to the life story shared by their older participant. This comparison offered students an opportunity to consider how their aging process may be similar or different to that of their interviewee. While the benefits of this activity as described by the students in their reflections are consistent with previous research, this study added a novel component to the analysis – exploring the varied reflection skills among students and how the level or depth of their reflection impacted their learning.</p> <p>Despite offering students training on how to write a critical reflection, our analysis revealed that only a small portion of students demonstrated an ability to reflect at a critical level, which is consistent with prior studies showing that many students struggle to develop and apply critical reflection skills (e.g., Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref59">3</reflink>]; Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref60">18</reflink>]; Kember et al., [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref61">19</reflink>]; Niemi, [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref62">27</reflink>]; Pearson & Heywood, [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref63">28</reflink>]). In the current study, one third of students submitted reflections that were done at a descriptive level, where reflections had little emotional content and contained few connections between what they learned from the assignment and the course content. Most often, these reflections resorted to re-stating facts from the life story or describing a theory they learned in class. While this level of thought may show understanding of the course content, it does not imply reflection, as it has an over-reliance on course content without relating it to personal experiences (Kember et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref64">20</reflink>]). At an analytical level, students showed a readiness for reflection, and were able to draw linkages between aging theories and the life story of their participant. Importantly, they were able to reflect on key lessons that they learned that influenced their perspectives on aging and discuss similarities and differences with their participant that would impact their own aging process. These students went beyond simple understanding of course content and applied it to their own experiences (Kember et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref65">20</reflink>]). Students who completed a critical reflection showed emotional reactions to the assignment and used these reactions to challenge their assumptions, often leading to a change in perspective about aging (Gardner & Alegre, [<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref66">10</reflink>]; Kember et al., [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref67">20</reflink>]). They also had the clearest views on what they learned and how these lessons would influence their decision making, and thus aging process, in the future.</p> <p>Given that gerontological education emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and reflective activities in helping students to develop aging competencies (Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education, [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref68">1</reflink>]; Gendron et al., [<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref69">11</reflink>]; Karasik, [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref70">18</reflink>]; Schoenmakers et al., [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref71">29</reflink>]), we propose four recommendations to help instructors foster deeper reflection skills among their students. These include creating reflection prompts and implementing more frequent reflection activities, increasing contact with an older adult, and enhancing qualitative interview skills.</p> <p></p> <ulist> <item> <bold> Create reflection prompts: </bold> Consistent with prior studies (e.g., Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref72">4</reflink>]; Eyler, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref73">9</reflink>]; Hatcher et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref74">15</reflink>]), our findings suggest that open-ended reflection activities (i.e., with no prompts) may not be an approach that works for all students. Indeed, simply asking students to engage in reflection does not mean they will link their experience to the course content or discuss how their assumptions have change (Eyler, [<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref75">9</reflink>]). Therefore, it is recommended that experiential learning be paired with structured reflection and regular feedback (Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref76">4</reflink>]; Conway et al., [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref77">8</reflink>]; Hatcher et al., [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref78">15</reflink>]). Based on our findings and the corresponding findings from the literature, we recommend that instructors using experiential learning activities in conjunction with personal reflection consider utilizing reflection prompts that are tailored to the activity to stimulate deep reflection around what students felt, what they learned, and why that was important. For example, Gardner and Alegre ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref79">10</reflink>]) prompted their students to 'write beyond simple description of <emph>what</emph> happened and reflect on <emph>how they felt and what they thought</emph> about what was happening.' They further asked students to organize their reflection by personal growth, civic engagement, and academic enhancement. Other service learning courses use reflection frameworks such as the DEAL model, which prompts students to <bold>D</bold>escribe their experience, <bold>E</bold>xamine it, and <bold>A</bold>rticulate <bold>L</bold>earning outcomes by identifying what they learned, why this learning matters, and how they will use it in the future (Ash & Clayton, [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref80">3</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref81">4</reflink>]).</item> <p></p> <item> <bold> Implement reflection activities before, during and after the assignment </bold> : Eyler ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref82">9</reflink>]) recommends the use of a reflection map that prompts students to engage in reflection before, during, and after the experiential learning activity. The pre-reflection serves as an opportunity for students to articulate their assumptions, reflect on their personal goals for the learning experience, and develop habits that help them monitor their progress toward those goals. Reflecting during the learning gives students an opportunity to observe the extent to which their experiences align with their expectations, and post-reflection allows students to consolidate their learning, examine how it impacted their perspectives and identify unresolved questions they have. Offering students multiple reflection activities is also beneficial for helping students develop critical reflection skills (Mann et al., [<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref83">24</reflink>]), as it gives them an opportunity to practice these skills in a variety of formats. For instance, Karasik ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref84">18</reflink>]) found that small and large group discussions were popular pre-service reflection activities, while reflective essays and journals were common for interim- and post-learning reflections. Collaborating with teaching assistants may be helpful for facilitating small group reflections throughout the term and helping students debrief on their experiences participating in experiential learning activities.</item> <p></p> <item> <bold> Increase contact with an older adult </bold> : In this study, experiential learning was facilitated through a brief (30-to-60-minutes) student-led interview with an older adult, followed by the compilation of a life story based on this interview, and the application of the theory to the analysis. While this approach is similar to others reported in the literature (e.g., Lun, [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref85">23</reflink>]; Villar et al., [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref86">33</reflink>]), a considerable limitation of this strategy is the relatively short time spent talking to an older adult. Conducting multiple interviews with an older adult may provide students with more opportunities to engage in rich discussions, which, in turn, can facilitate critical reflection. Providing feedback to students on their reflections, with additional opportunities to follow-up with their participant and build on the life story may also enhance students' ability to engage in critical reflection.</item> <p></p> <item> <bold> Enhance qualitative interviewing skills </bold> : Qualitative interviewing skills vary across students, and those with more advanced qualitative interviewing skills may have had a more enriching experience to reflect on (Neiterman et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref87">26</reflink>]). While we provided students with an interview guide, they were also encouraged to tailor their interview and ask probing questions based on the answers of their participant, which students with limited qualitative experience may have found challenging (Neiterman et al., [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref88">26</reflink>]). Prior to interviewing their participant, students should be provided with more opportunities to practice their interview skills (including asking probing questions) through in-class role-play activities.</item> </ulist> <hd id="AN0159605020-12">Limitations</hd> <p>Our study has some methodological and practical limitations which must be considered. First, while our sample of 72 reflections was relatively large for a qualitative research project, reliance on written reflections, which were submitted for a class assignment and hence written for the purpose of being evaluated, limited our ability to truly examine students' reflection skills. As our analysis relied explicitly on the content of their written reflections, we did not have opportunities to explore their experiences in more depth. Conducting interviews with students shortly after they completed the assignment or asking students to complete research diaries throughout each phase of the assignment could have provided us with more insights about the depth, quality, and nature of the reflections. In addition, using a preexisting framework for classification of reflection skills might have obscured the nuances and the variability of students' reflections skills. We tried to address this limitation in our study by utilizing two independent coders during this analysis and triangulating it with the data derived from inductive analysis. While we felt this framework was helpful for classifying reflection skills, future research can approach this subject more inductively, aiming to capture the diversity and nuances in students' reflections.</p> <p>The 72 written reflections that we analyzed represented a diversity of disciplines and reflection abilities. While the disciplinary backgrounds of our participants reflected the overall distribution of the academic backgrounds of students taking the course, we were unable to collect any demographic information about the participants that may have influenced their reflection skills. For example, prior experience with reflection activities in other courses may have impacted their ability to complete this step of the assignment. Writing abilities may have also impacted what we interpreted as examples of critical reflection. Moreover, since the reflections were formally evaluated, students may have exaggerated how much they actually learned from working on their assignment. Prior experiences interacting with older adults (either personally or through work or volunteer opportunities) might have also impacted their views on aging and their own aging processes. Future research is needed to examine how these factors impact reflection skills among gerontology students.</p> <p>In addition, it is important to consider the quality of interactions and the relationship that students had with the older adult they interviewed. For instance, close familial relationships (e.g., grandparent) may have impacted how comfortable the participant felt sharing their life story. Furthermore, more meaningful conversations with thought-provoking or poignant life stories may have created more opportunities for students to engage in critical reflection.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-13">Conclusions</hd> <p>Gerontological education frequently emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and reflective activities for fostering aging competence; however, our study shows that critical reflection might be challenging for some students. It could be that some students were more comfortable with qualitative interviewing and thus were more equipped to facilitate high-quality, rich discussions, which in turn helped them to develop critical reflection. Repeated intergenerational interviews, using more reflection prompts, and more opportunities to practice reflection before, during, and after the interview may have helped students achieve a deeper reflection on intergenerational experiences and commonalities. We presented four recommendations to help instructors foster deeper reflection among their students learning about gerontology; however, more research is needed to examine the success of these strategies. Further research is also needed to explore the impact of individual factors (e.g., demographic characteristics, prior intergenerational or qualitative experiences) on critical reflection skills.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-14">Acknowledgments</hd> <p>We would like to acknowledge Souraiya Kassam, Vanessa Bach and Saman Husain for their support with data collection.</p> <hd id="AN0159605020-15">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).</p> <ref id="AN0159605020-16"> <title> References </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref25" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education. (2020). 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  Data: Examining Critical Reflection Skills in an Undergraduate Gerontology Course
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sheppard%2C+Christine+L%2E%22">Sheppard, Christine L.</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6487-3287">0000-0002-6487-3287</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gilani%2C+Jia%22">Gilani, Jia</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Neiterman%2C+Elena%22">Neiterman, Elena</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6767-6169">0000-0001-6767-6169</externalLink>)
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  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflection%22">Reflection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+Learning%22">Experiential Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aging+%28Individuals%29%22">Aging (Individuals)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gerontology%22">Gerontology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Undergraduate+Students%22">Undergraduate Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Thinking%22">Critical Thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviews%22">Interviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Age+Differences%22">Age Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Discussion%22">Discussion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Generational+Differences%22">Generational Differences</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/03601277.2022.2047505
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0360-1277<br />1521-0472
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2022
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1359616
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1359616
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03601277.2022.2047505
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 536
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Reflection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experiential Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Aging (Individuals)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Gerontology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Critical Thinking
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviews
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Age Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Discussion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Generational Differences
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Examining Critical Reflection Skills in an Undergraduate Gerontology Course
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Sheppard, Christine L.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gilani, Jia
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Neiterman, Elena
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2022
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0360-1277
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1521-0472
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 48
            – Type: issue
              Value: 11
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Gerontology
              Type: main
ResultId 1