Scientific & Realist Approaches in Health Professions Education Research

ONLINE WORKSHOP

In this online workshop we compare and contrast scientific and realist approaches to health professions education research. Scientific methods seek to explain natural phenomena by examining relationships between variables and making cause-and-effect predictions. They employ features like hypothesis testing, randomization, control, replicability, impartiality, and predictive validity. Realist approaches, however, go deeper. They aim to unravel how programs (interventions) function or don't, for whom, under what circumstances, and why. For many educational researchers, realist approaches can provide an alternative to experimental methods, acknowledging the complexity and social nature of educational interventions, recognizing that they operate differently for diverse individuals, in various settings, and at different times. By understanding the different assumptions behind each approach, and through thoughtful discussions grounded in case studies, by the end of this workshop you will come to appreciate the limitations and strengths of both approaches.