Narratives are being increasingly used in nursing and action research. In this participatory action research study, nurse leaders of an acute care of the older person unit collectively, critically and creatively reflected on lived experiences in order to explore the concept of person-centred leadership within their own practice. This paper describes a critical and creative reflective inquiry (CCRI) structure and processes, as well as participant evaluations. CCRI has a threephased structure: descriptive, reflective, critical/emancipatory. Reflectivity moves from 'consciousness' to 'critical consciousness' as participants critique and gain insight into their being within context. In the descriptive phase one participant shares a narrative, supported by group members applying the principles of narrative interviewing. As the narrator distances self from the narrative the reflective phase opens, where individuals creatively express their interpretation of the narrative shared. Collective and critical reflection begins as group members dialogue interpretations. As mutual understandings emerge, these are further contested and theorised in the critical/emancipatory phase. Both perspective and practice transformations were expressed within the CCRI space and observed outside it. The CCRI method created a communicative space for leaders to critically reflect, feel supported and develop knowledge and skills that they could immediately apply to daily leadership practice. Skilled facilitation was found to be essential for enabling learning and efficacy and the use of creative expression enriched the inquiry, offering new and unexpected insights. In conclusion, CCRI offers action researchers and participants a new method to explore (new) concepts relevant, and intended, to improve practice.
A reflective goal-setting intervention could help students adjust to higher education, and improve their performance and well-being, as has been shown by small-scale and quasi-experimental studies conducted so far. However, a large experimental study found no effects, highlighting the importance of replication, and a better understanding of the mechanisms that explain when and why the intervention works. This replication study tested the effects of such a goal-setting intervention on the academic performance of 1,134 first-year business and teacher education students, with a randomized control trial. The treatment group earned significantly more course credits, and had a 15% lower risk of dropping out of college, compared to the control group. Contrary to the findings of previous studies, this study found no evidence that these effects are larger for men, or ethnic minorities. Additionally, we found no effect of the intervention on self-regulated learning, resilience, grit, engagement, or well-being.
MULTIFILE
Social work is a profession that is very much part of and contributes to an ever changing and evolving society. It is therefore essential that social work is able to respond to the diverse and dynamic demands that it may encounter in that society and in the future. The critique of social work is, however, present and growing. The profession can no longer deny or ignore the need to legitimize its value and effectiveness. In this article, a research project – entitled Procivi – aimed at developing a method of legitimizing social work is presented. The method developed in Procivi proposes a way of legitimizing social work through the development of reflective professionals. The method teaches professionals to take a research frame of mind towards their own practice and helps them develop a vocabulary to describe their work to different audiences. The paper discusses whether and how this method forms a viable way of legitimizing social work and as such could be an alternative for the growing demand for social work based on scientific evidence (evidencebased practice, EBP).
