Ⅰ An overview of theories about interprofessional education and work / 医学教育

ABSTRACT

　The theoretical framework for interprofessional education is drawn from a number of academic disciplines. To put theory into practice, it is necessary to analyze major theories and use metacognitive frameworks focusing on the micro, meso, and macro levels.<br>　As major theories, social constructivism and social capital were introduced. Social constructivism emphasizes the necessity of interaction with the social environment and proposes that persons play a large role in cognitive development. In social capital, people tend to share a common idea as “the social network has value.”<br>　On the basis of social welfare theory, we have described several theories focusing on the micro, meso, and macro levels. In micro-level analysis, successful application of adult learning theory, or andragogy, is a key mechanism for well-received interprofessional education. In addition, contact theory provides appropriate ways to reduce prejudice between members of a group, and social identity theory provides a concept for explaining intergroup behavior. In meso-level analysis, team learning, the theory of cooperation, activity theory, and Tuckman’s team development model were introduced. In macro-level analysis, we explained that healthcare professionals are socialized in complex systems focusing on organizational learning or practice.<br>　Finally, the literature for interprofessional education focusing on a metacognitive framework was introduced. We expect that, through multifaceted reflection over time, a theoretical framework for multidisciplinary cooperation will be developed.