Abstract
The theme of my presentation is the use of Q research methodology in a study of reflectivity. In my doctoral research, I examine which concepts of reflection are used in Czech health and social work higher education, through which methods and for what purpose. Reflection and its related notions, such as reflective practice and critical reflection, have a long tradition in educational, social, and health services (e. g., Jootun & McGarry, 2014; Schields, 1995; Taylor,
2010). Teaching and learning reflectivity produce accountable professional practitioners who can critically monitor their practice (e.g., Shields, 1995; Knott & Scragg, 2016; Svojanovský). There has been a proliferation of references to reflectivity in the literature without sufficient attention to how it can be enhanced so that educators "can help beginning professionals develop" the skills of reflective practice and acquire initial experiences" (Russell, 2005, p. 199; Van Beveren et al.,
2018). I will use the Q research methodology to explore the educators' subjective understanding. It combines quantitative and qualitative research principles, applying "statistical analysis to the qualitative study of human subjectivity such as attitudes, beliefs, feelings and opinions" (Ellingsen et al., 2009, p.
395). According to these authors, it is an effective method for "obtaining data from small samples, offering respondents a concise and valid way of expressing their viewpoints with minimal researcher interference" (p.
395). It also enables the researchers to explore "the subjective dimension of any issue "towards which different points-of-view can be expressed" (Stenner et al., 2008, p.
212). The "literature describes several steps in implementing the Q methodology:
1) Identifying a concourse on the topic of interest,
2) Developing a representative set of statements (Q sample),
3) Specifying the respondents for the study (P-set) and conditions of instructions,
4) Administering the Q sort (rank ordering of statements), and
5) Factor analyzing and interpretation (Ellingsen et al.,
2009). In my presentation, I will address the theory of the Q methodology and report on its application in my research on the use of different aspects of reflectivity in professional training programmes. More specifically, I will report on the first step of this approach, the Q concourse. It is a collection of various statements people express about the researched topic, including their opinions, arguments, beliefs, viewpoints etc., written down in ordinary language. In addition, the statements establishing the Q concourse are also informed by other sources, such as the academic literature, popular texts, TV programs, formal interviews, or informal discussions via pilot studies (Watts & Stenner,
2005). I will present the concourse related to reflection gathered from multiple sources, including the academic literature, semi-structured interviews with educators, and observation, using the MAXQDA analytical tools.