Medical students’ experiences of a longitudinal integrated clerkship: a threshold concepts analysis

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of threshold concepts – as informed by literature [5,6]

Characteristics of Threshold Concepts	Brief description (sourced from Meyer & Land 2003, 2005)
Transformative	Alteration and reconstruction of subjectivity and identity, how one sees oneself or the world: viewing, being and becoming
Troublesome	Involves conceptual difficulty and/or emotional uncertainty
Integrative	Pulling together of fundamental knowledge to develop a more sophisticated understanding, akin to an ‘aha’ moment
Bounded	Located in a distinctive discipline
Irreversible	Difficult to unlearn once fully grasped, as a reformed understanding results in a shift in self
Reconstitutive	Cumulative learning effect associated with developing expertise, related to transformation
Discursive	Discussing and utilising knowledge in appropriate disciplinary ways
Liminality	Oscillating state during the learning journey, associated with cognitive and/or emotional discomfort; related to troublesome feature

Meyer J, Land R. Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: linkages to ways of thinking and practising within the disciplines. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh; 2003 May 4.

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Meyer JH, Land R. Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning. Higher Educ. 2005 Apr 1;49(3):373–388.

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