Noble Christy, Ajjawi Rola, Billett Stephen, Goldszmidt Mark
Academy for Medical Education, Medical School, The University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia.
Department of Surgery and CHES, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Clin Teach. 2025 Feb;22(1):e70005. doi: 10.1111/tct.70005.
Learning in clinical settings occurs through engagement in everyday activities and interactions. Yet, clinical settings are complex, dynamic environments and data collection methods such as interviews and focus groups, although valuable, alone may not capture the complexities of these settings. Qualitative observational research offers an approach to understanding these complexities and enhancing learning in clinical settings.
The aim of this paper is to support readers in undertaking qualitative observational research in workplace learning.
We provide an overview of qualitative observational research, emphasising its relevance to investigating workplace learning. We delineate four key components to consider: the phenomenon of interest, roles of researchers and participants, ethical considerations and data collection approaches. An illustrative example from health professions education research is presented to demonstrate the application and outcomes of observational research.
Qualitative observational research allows for a nuanced understanding of real-world clinical activities and interactions, capturing elements of learning that are often missed by other methods. It offers a rich evidentiary base for both clinicians and researchers to appraise and improve practice. The example study illustrates how observational research can identify systemic issues affecting both learning and clinical practice.
Qualitative observational research offers an important approach to understanding the complexities of clinical practice and workplace learning. We have shared some key considerations for the design and conduct of qualitative observational research in workplace learning.
临床环境中的学习是通过参与日常活动和互动来实现的。然而，临床环境是复杂、动态的环境，数据收集方法如访谈和焦点小组，虽然有价值，但单独使用可能无法捕捉这些环境的复杂性。定性观察研究提供了一种理解这些复杂性并促进临床环境中学习的方法。
本文旨在支持读者在工作场所学习中进行定性观察研究。
我们概述了定性观察研究，强调其与调查工作场所学习的相关性。我们阐述了四个需要考虑的关键要素：感兴趣的现象、研究人员和参与者的角色、伦理考量以及数据收集方法。文中给出了一个来自卫生专业教育研究的示例，以展示观察研究的应用和结果。
定性观察研究能够对现实世界中的临床活动和互动进行细致入微的理解，捕捉到其他方法常常遗漏的学习要素。它为临床医生和研究人员评估和改进实践提供了丰富的证据基础。示例研究说明了观察研究如何识别影响学习和临床实践的系统性问题。
定性观察研究为理解临床实践和工作场所学习的复杂性提供了一种重要方法。我们分享了在工作场所学习中设计和开展定性观察研究的一些关键注意事项。
