Generational situatedness: Challenging generational stereotypes in health professions education
Title
Generational situatedness: Challenging generational stereotypes in health professions education
Creator
Rachel Conrad Bracken
Mary E Fredrickson
L Austin Fredrickson
Michael Appleman
Date
2022
Description
Purpose: Use of generation theory is pervasive within health professions education (HPE) literature, yet its application perpetuates unfounded generalizations that disadvantage learners. The objectives of this thematic analysis are first, to understand how generation theory is applied to 'Generation Z' HPE students and second, to propose a more productive framework for approaching evolutions within HPE.
Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify HPE publications pertaining to Gen Z learners. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify a priori themes and uncover new themes.
Results: Qualitative analysis revealed evidence of three a priori themes as well as four newly identified themes across our sample.
Conclusion: The near ubiquity of essentialism and generational othering across our sample illustrates the ongoing challenges posed by generationalism in HPE discourse. While traces of generational humility and generational situatedness suggest a more holistic response to evolving student populations, we nevertheless discourage the continued use of generation theory to guide HPE pedagogy and instead urge educators to resist essentializing generalizations by thinking comprehensively about what evolutions in HPE must occur if we are to best prepare our students to practice in present and future healthcare settings.[Box: see text].
Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify HPE publications pertaining to Gen Z learners. A thematic analysis was undertaken to identify a priori themes and uncover new themes.
Results: Qualitative analysis revealed evidence of three a priori themes as well as four newly identified themes across our sample.
Conclusion: The near ubiquity of essentialism and generational othering across our sample illustrates the ongoing challenges posed by generationalism in HPE discourse. While traces of generational humility and generational situatedness suggest a more holistic response to evolving student populations, we nevertheless discourage the continued use of generation theory to guide HPE pedagogy and instead urge educators to resist essentializing generalizations by thinking comprehensively about what evolutions in HPE must occur if we are to best prepare our students to practice in present and future healthcare settings.[Box: see text].
Source
Med Teach
. 2022 Oct 28;1-8. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2022.2135428. Online ahead of print.
. 2022 Oct 28;1-8. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2022.2135428. Online ahead of print.
Language
English
URL
https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2022.2135428
Citation
Rachel Conrad Bracken et al., “Generational situatedness: Challenging generational stereotypes in health professions education,” NEOMED Bibliography Database, accessed May 6, 2024, https://neomed.omeka.net/items/show/12007.