RESUMEN
Introduction Reflection is the intentional evaluation of one's beliefs or understanding in consideration of the available evidence. Reflection has been noted to enhance profound learning and critical thinking and is an essential foundation of experiential learning. The Reflective Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) is a valid and reliable tool for assessing reflective capacity among medical students. It assesses not only reflective capacity but also other psychological constructs relevant to reflective practice, such as job satisfaction, confidence while interacting with patients, stress during patient interaction, desire for improvement, and feelings of uncertainty. The use of RPQ as a diagnostic tool for improving reflective capacity among medical students is scarcely available in the literature. Thus, the present study aimed to utilize the RPQ for identifying discrete action points for training and future improvement in reflective capacity. Materials and methods The present cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 300 medical students of a medical college. To identify the clusters or meaningful subgroups within the study population, cluster analysis was done. Inter-correlation between subscales of RPQ was performed by forming Pearson's correlation matrix to understand the dynamics between various subscales of RPQ. Results Five groups were identified in the cluster analysis: typical (25.6%), reflective (27%), non-reflective (16.7%), unconfident (14%), and overconfident (16.7%). This sets the template for specific action points for each group identified above. Reflective capacity was positively correlated with Desire for Improvement (DfI), General Confidence (CG), Communication Confidence (CC), and Job Satisfaction (JS). It was also positively correlated with negative outcomes such as Uncertainty (Unc) and Stress when Interacting with Patients (SiC). Conclusion RPQ can be used as a diagnostic tool in terms of reflective capacity for action research.
RESUMEN
PURPOSE: This study aims to verify whether the Reflective Practice Questionnaire (RPQ) developed by Priddis and Rogers is valid in the Korean context to identify the level of reflection of medical students in clinical practice. METHODS: A total of 202 third- and fourth-year medical students from seven universities participated in the study. After receiving approval for use from the authors, a survey was conducted on the students through an adaptation process. The original scale consists of 10 factors with 40 items. The Self-efficacy in Clinical Performance Scale (SECP), Korean Self-reflection and Insight Scale (K-SRIS), and Reflection-in-Learning Scale (RinLS) were used to validate the scale. Exploratory factor, confirmatory factor, correlation, and reliability analyses were used for data analysis. RESULTS: As a result of exploratory factor analysis, 10 subfactors were extracted (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin=0.856, Bartlett's test: χ 2 =5,044.337, degrees of freedom=780, p<0.001). Among the 40 items, one that showed a high overlapping load for other factors was excluded. As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, the 10-factor structure model was found suitable (χ 2 =1.980, comparative fit index=0.859, Tucker-Lewis index=0.841, root mean square error of approximation=0.070). As a result of the criterion validity test, most of the subfactors of the Korean version of the RPQ (K-RPQ) showed a positive correlation with K-SRIS, RinLS, and SECP. The reliability of 10 subfactors was satisfactory, ranging from 0.666 to 0.919. CONCLUSION: The K-RPQ was confirmed to be a reliable and valid tool to evaluate the level of reflection among Korean medical students in clinical clerkship. This scale can be used as a tool to provide feedback on each student's level of reflection in clinical clerkship.