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Theory, a lost character? As presented in general practice education research papers

journal contribution
posted on 2019-05-01, 00:00 authored by James Brown, Margaret BearmanMargaret Bearman, Catherine Kirby, Elizabeth Molloy, Deborah Colville, Debra Nestel
OBJECTIVES: The use of theory in research is reflected in its presence in research writing. Theory is often an ineffective presence in medical education research papers. To progress the effective use of theory in medical education, we need to understand how theory is presented in research papers. This study aims to elicit how theory is being written into general practice (GP) vocational education research papers in order to elucidate how theory might be more effectively used. This has relevance for the field of GP and for medical education more broadly. METHODS: This is a scoping review of the presentation of theory in GP vocational education research published between 2013 and 2017. An interpretive approach is taken. We frame research papers as a form of narrative and draw on the theories of Aristotle's poetics and Campbell's monomyth. We seek parallels between the roles of theory in a research story and theories of characterisation. RESULTS: A total of 23 papers were selected. Theories of 'reflective learning', 'communities of practice' and 'adult learning' were most used. Six tasks were assigned to theory: to align with a position; to identify a research problem; to serve as a vehicle for an idea; to provide a methodological tool; to interpret findings, and to represent an object of examination. The prominence of theory in the papers ranged from cameo to major roles. Depending on the way theory was used and the audience, theory had different impacts. There were parallels between the tasks assigned to theory and the roles of four of Campbell's archetypal characters. Campbell's typology offers guidance on how theory can be used in research paper 'stories'. CONCLUSIONS: Theory can be meaningfully present in the story of a research paper if it is assigned a role in a deliberate way and this is articulated. Attention to the character development of theory and its positioning in the research story is important.

History

Journal

Medical education

Volume

53

Issue

5

Pagination

443 - 457

Publisher

Wiley

Location

Chichester, Eng.

eISSN

1365-2923

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2019, John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education