Re-positioning faculty development as knowledge mobilization for health professions education.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Knowledge Mobilization
• Faculty Development

Background:

• The research-practice gap in health professions education remains a challenge.
• Existing models of knowledge translation often create a false dichotomy between knowledge creators and users.
• Faculty development offers a novel framework for addressing this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reframe faculty development as a knowledge mobilization enterprise.
• To explore how faculty development can foster the sharing and creation of knowledge.
• To resist the 'knowledge user' vs. 'knowledge creator' dichotomy by using the term 'knowledge mobilization'.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of faculty development and knowledge mobilization.
• Leveraging strengths of faculty development to address critiques of knowledge mobilization.
• Examining the dual role of faculty development in educating and socializing faculty.

Main Results:

• Faculty development can serve as a formal space for sharing research and practical knowledge.
• It can effectively mobilize knowledge from diverse sources, including practice-based knowledge.
• Faculty development not only mobilizes knowledge but also cultivates knowledge mobilizers.

Conclusions:

• Reframing faculty development as knowledge mobilization offers a promising approach to bridge the knowing-doing gap.
• Acceptance of multiple knowledge sources and purposes is crucial for this vision.
• This approach can lead to the creation of faculty who actively engage in knowledge mobilization within their professional environments.