Workplace learning
How clinical and other professional environments shape what people can observe, practise and contribute.
RESEARCH
Learning happens through participation.
My ongoing research explores learning and professional identity through participation in practice. It is rooted in medical and health professions education, with questions relevant across workplaces and disciplines.
01 / DOCTORAL RESEARCH
Participation in practice
How medical students learn and form their professional identity during clinical placements through the lens of community of practice theory
Using students’ audio diaries and interviews, my doctoral study explored clinical workplace learning and professional identity through community of practice theory.
The findings highlight how participation in clinical work, sustained relationships and access to a team’s knowledge shape learning and students’ sense of becoming a doctor.
The study also raises questions for other workplaces about welcoming newcomers, participation and access to expertise.
Read the thesis02 / RESEARCH INTERESTS
Questions that carry across settings.
Professional identity
How learning with others influences belonging, identification and development as a professional.
Communities of practice
Using social theories of learning to understand participation, relationships and shared practice.
Education that responds
Developing and evaluating research-informed approaches to learning environments and educational support.
I also explore learning across professions and teams, alongside my work on personal tutoring, academic advising and coaching.
03 / APPLYING RESEARCH IN EDUCATION
Workplace Learning Literacy.
Current curriculum initiative
I developed Workplace Learning Literacy from my research into how students learn and form their professional identity during clinical placements. I now lead its ongoing development and delivery in collaboration with Dr Selma Omer.
The initiative addresses an important area of educational practice and research: how students learn through participation in clinical work and form their professional identity as future doctors, nurses and other health professionals. It is being implemented in undergraduate medicine and nursing, with the aim of extending it to other health professions courses.
In medicine, it aims to support two key transitions—from the structured learning of the early years to making the most of clinical placements, and from being a medical student to beginning practice as a doctor.
Sessions bring together research findings and students’ experiences through discussion, reflection and goal setting, helping students understand the evidence and consider how to apply it during placements.
Early feedback tentatively suggests greater clarity about learning on placement, confidence in participating and awareness of professional identity formation; however, research and evaluation are continuing.
Discuss this work04 / BOOKS
Books
Explore my co-authored and co-edited books on personal tutoring, academic advising and student support.
Explore my books