Reflections on clinical learning in novice speech-language therapy students

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Clinical education
• Reflective practice

Background:

• Reflective practice is crucial for enhancing clinical reasoning and client outcomes in speech-language therapy.
• Its integration into academic programs and investigation into student reflection quality remain inconsistent.
• Limited research exists on the nature and depth of reflection among speech-language therapy students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the breadth and depth of reflection skills in novice speech-language therapy students using structured reflective journals.
• To evaluate the reliability and relevance of a coding system for assessing reflection skills.

Main Methods:

• 52 second-year undergraduate speech-language therapy students participated.
• Students completed guided written reflections after simulated patient interviews.
• Reflections were coded by multiple raters to establish reliability.

Main Results:

• The majority of students demonstrated reflective writing, primarily discussing interview content and strategies.
• All students showed at least one element of reflection.
• The coding system proved reliable for assessing the breadth and depth of student reflections.

Conclusions:

• Novice speech-language therapy students can engage in reflection within structured clinical settings with standardized patients.
• Critical reflection, involving analysis, patient perspective-taking, and self-awareness, was observed in a small subset of students.
• The developed coding system is reliable and applicable for future research on reflective practice in speech-language therapy and other fields.