Reflective Dialogues: Comparing Team-Based and Individual Reflection Approaches in Fostering Communication Skills in...

This experimental study examines the efficacy of team-based reflection versus individual reflection in enhancing communication skills among second-year MBBS students. The impact of collaborative learning and reflection on professional development through teamwork was studied. Pre- and post-tests, teaching sessions, and individual and team-based reflective activities were conducted, analysis was done using SPSS 27, and reflections were marked through REFLECT rubric. Communication skills were taught to the whole class which was at the beginner level, followed by a pre-test to select and divide the sample. Both groups showed significant improvement in communication skills after their respective reflections (p < 0.000). These findings demonstrate that team-based reflection is as effective as individual reflection for enhancing communication skills and developing reflective capacities in medical students. This study offers valuable insights for educators and institutions aiming to implement innovative pedagogical strategies, particularly those using a team-based curriculum to cultivate reflective practitioners in the medical field. A team-based reflective approach could reduce the time spent checking students' reflections, as individual reflections are more time-consuming to track. Also, this approach could aid in providing collective feedback from students regarding their learning to the faculty and peer support to the students, which could pique their interest in an otherwise seemingly uninteresting but important task.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-025-02405-9.