Introduction to Health Professionals Education Research and Theory

The first workshop in this series will introduce you to the area of health professions education research, highlighting its centrality to both educational and practice quality for healthcare students and professionals alike. We will examine how health professions education research is not simply about gathering students’ reactions to teaching, but covers a wide range of subjects: from the very start of person’s interest in becoming a healthcare professional (e.g. career decision making, student admission), through their journey as healthcare students (e.g. educational and learning practices, professional identity formation), to becoming a qualified healthcare professional working with patients and clients every day (e.g. continuous professional development programmes, becoming clinical educators). Ultimately, you will come to appreciate how health professions education research is about “making better practitioners to improve patient health, safety, and well-being” (Rees, Monrouxe et. al 2023) by employing rigorous theory and methods.