Health educators' professional agency in negotiating their problem-based learning (PBL) facilitator roles: Q study

Abstract

Background: University educators are expected to cope with emerging situations and complex issues in teaching and learning, and this requires them to be agentic and proactive. While professional agency of health educators has not been investigated adequately, this study explores health educators' perception of their enactment of professional agency in the PBL facilitation process in a postpandemic context. Methods: Forty PBL facilitators from medical and dental programs in Qatar University participated in the study during the fall semester of 2021, after resuming in-person PBL sessions. To collect and analyse data both qualitatively and quantitatively, Q methodology was employed. A 33-statement Q-set was established based on a proposed theoretical framework of professional agency in PBL facilitation, which included three dimensions—intrapersonal, action, and environment. Results: Q factor analysis identified five significantly different viewpoints regarding how PBL facilitators perceive their professional agency sources, namely, (1) institutional resources, (2) policy guideline, (3) making efforts to improve support for students, (4) beliefs on PBL effectiveness, and (5) agentic actions. While four of the viewpoints were positive, participants with the second viewpoint reported negative perceptions and described lack of interest in facilitation work. All three dimensions of the framework were addressed and indicated complexity and interrelatedness of agency enactment. Consensus was observed regarding the need for more professional learning activities for faculty involved in PBL facilitation as source of professional agency. Discussion: The results revealed a high variation of participants' perceptions of professional agency enactment throughout the three dimensions, indicating the need for establishing a common understanding of PBL facilitation work in a given context. For practical implications, further institutional efforts are required to support professional learning for PBL facilitation in a postpandemic context. Alternate approaches highlighting enforcement of agentic actions in all dimensions of intrapersonal values, stance and action taking, and active interactions with students, colleagues, and institutional environments are crucial. Q methodology provides new conceptual and empirical insights to explore the subjectivity of actors in health education.