Using semantic gravity profiling to develop critical reflection

ABSTRACT

Whether novices can be guided to produce valued critical reflections is a subject widely-discussed in fields of practice where placement is essential. This research enters into this conversation. However, the question is considered with a new framework by deconstructing evidence of successful critical reflection using an increasingly significant social realist framework, Legitimation Code Theory (LCT). Students and teachers involved in fields where critical reflection writing is important can be guided to notice how semantic gravity from Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) makes more visible what is valued by experts evaluating novice critical reflections. The findings discussed in this paper stem from an interdisciplinary collaboration between academic literacy and nursing experts. Over ten months from 2018 to 2019, analyses of 200 first year student nurse critical reflection assignments were conducted. General patterns distinguishing high and low scoring critical reflection assignments were observed. A high and a low scoring paper reflecting these general patterns are discussed in detail in the results. The research seeks to contribute to both research on improving the practice of critical reflection in higher education, and approaches exploring Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) in educational research to better understand knowledge practices in applied disciplines.

KEYWORDS:

• Semantic gravity profiling
• critical reflection
• nursing
• practicum
• Legitimation Code Theory

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Mark Brooke

Mark Brooke is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for English Language Communication at the National University of Singapore. He currently designs and teaches undergraduate academic writing courses combining Sociology of Sport and English for Academic Purposes. Apart from sport research, he investigates practical classroom applications of Systemic Functional Linguistics and Legitimation Code Theory (LCT). He has published the findings from his case studies in journals such as Teaching in Higher Education; The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL and the Asian Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.