An introduction to Journal Club
An introduction to journal club
The Journal Club is a biweekly asynchronous activity designed to help you engage critically with current educational literature, connect theory to practice and develop your academic reading and reflective writing skills.
For each session, we’ll post a carefully selected article or paper relevant to topics explored in the programme (e.g. teaching methods, reflective practice, knowledge and skills). Your task is to read the article and contribute to the discussion forum by reflecting on the content and interacting with peers.
This is a low-pressure, supportive environment to develop confidence in reading and responding to academic texts.
Learning Outcomes
By taking part in the journal club, you will:
- Develop critical reading and academic discussion skills
- Connect theory to real-world teaching practice
- Build confidence in engaging with scholarly literature
- Deepen your understanding of key concepts in clinical and academic education
So what do I need to do?
- Read the article and reflect on it in relation to your own teaching context.
- Post a short written response in the forum. This could include:
- What you found interesting or challenging
- How the ideas relate to your own practice
- Any questions the article raised for you
- A key quote and your interpretation of it
- Read at least two posts from your peers and respond to them.
- You might:
- Comment on similarities or differences in your perspectives
- Offer examples from your own context
- Ask clarifying or follow-up questions
- Share a related reading or idea
We’ll sometimes include guiding questions to help frame your responses. These might include:
- How does this article challenge or support your current understanding of the topic?
- What are the implications of this research for your teaching practice?
- What aspect of the article would you want to explore further with colleagues or students?
Top Tips
- Don’t worry about having the “right” answer - this is about engaging and exploring ideas.
- Skim strategically if time is short - abstracts, introductions, and conclusions can be very insightful.
- Use your reflections in your apprenticeship portfolio as evidence of your engagement with the KSVBs.
