Evaluating institutional approaches to portfolio use

School: Biological Science, Biological Sciences, University of Leicester, School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, Kingston University London, Biomedical Sciences

Team: Dr Alison Cullinane, Dr Sarah Gretton, Dr Nigel Page, Dr Ruth Deighton, Biomedical Sciences

Abstract

The project brings together four researchers from three universities all using reflective portfolios in biological sciences (Edinburgh, Leicester, and Kingston (London)) and biomedical sciences (Edinburgh) courses. Each of our reflective portfolio approaches has been developed independently. The project would like to explore science undergraduate students’ engagement with reflection and reflective processes so to develop best practice and recommendations for a broad range of audiences. Currently there is limited research published on the use of reflective portfolios for personal and professional development with undergraduate science students (Mello & Wattret, 2021). The collaboration among the applicants will allow us to learn about delivering reflective practice from different institutional perspectives and allow us to develop a peer network to investigate portfolio use through the development of questionnaires and interview protocols so that we can better understand reflective practice with undergraduate science students. The distinct demographics in each institution will allow for case study research using mixed methods for data collection. 

We aim to inform our own school’s practice, as well as others in our respective institutions. All researchers will be involved at every phase, a research assistant will be recruited to support data collection and management, particularly for interviews and focus groups. As well, undergraduate students will be recruited to join the study as partners and advise the research from their lived experience using portfolios.