Interdisciplinary teaching squares enhance reflection and collegiality: A collaborative pedagogical approach

Aim

To explore the experiences of interdisciplinary Higher Educational Academics within Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy and Biomedical Science in the use of teaching squares as a formative, collaborative pedagogical tool to promote reflection.

Background

One approach to enhancing academic teaching practice involves the provision of feedback to individual academics. This approach can be challenging for the reviewer, hence other less intimidating approaches are popular. One such approach is the teaching square. In this approach typically 4 other teaching staff are involved in observing their peers’ teaching methods (synchronous or asynchronous) and then engaging in a cycle of personal reflection. Reflection on teaching practices of their peers can provide opportunity to improve their own teaching. Typically teaching squares involve participants from the same academic discipline, however, in this study participants from related yet different disciplines were purposely connected and the benefits of this approach assessed.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design was used to explore the participants’ experiences of undertaking interdisciplinary teaching squares through online questionnaires and focus group feedback opportunities.

Methods

This study was undertaken between August 2022 to June 2023 at an Australian university. Sixteen academic staff members from Nursing, Midwifery, Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical science and Biological science expressed an interest in the project. Five participants elected not to continue citing time pressures and 11 staff members participated in the project. Participation involved completing the teaching square experience and a subsequent focus group that were held to explore their experiences of undertaking a teaching square. The demographic survey data were presented and the focus group interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically.

Results

Triangulation of the findings resulted in the identification of four main themes: Teaching squares for professional networks; Perceptions of Safety; Stepping in and out of a reflective cycle; and Time Constraints vs. Time Value.

Conclusions

The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of teaching squares in encouraging academic reflection on teaching and fostering a collaborative teaching culture within interdisciplinary higher education academics. An unexpected finding was the value and promotion of interdisciplinarity professional relationships and networks. The findings from this research project offer valuable insights into the benefits of adopting teaching squares in health education and contributes to evidence-based pedagogical practices.