Use of the educator's portfolio to stimulate reflective practice among medical educators

Abstract

Background: Preparing a teaching portfolio to document educational expertise should be useful for both promotion and to stimulate faculty development. Description: This article describes a study of the effectiveness of the Educator's Portfolio (EP) as a stimulus for faculty's reflection about educational practice. Methods: Structured interviews of 10 faculty who prepared EPs for promotion were conducted, and a qualitative content analysis of the resulting protocols was conducted to determine if the EP development process had promoted their reflection on education and, if so, how. Results: All 10 faculty indicated that reflection about education had occurred. Four categories of reflection emerged: (a) surfacing of dilemmas in practice, (b) seeking supports, (c) reformulating educational practice, and (d) transformation of educational practice. Conclusions: These findings indicate that EP preparation creates a forum for reflection on educational practice, which promotes faculty development.