A top-down approach impedes the use of theory? Interprofessional educational leaders' approaches to curriculum development and the use of learning theory.

International policy has emphasized the development of interprofessional education (IPE) to reinforce interprofessional practice. This study explored the extent to which IPE initiatives in the UK are based on sound theoretical frameworks. Findings from semi-structured interviews with lead IPE curriculum developers at eight higher education institutions are presented which identified curriculum developers' developmental approaches to IPE. The findings reveal a notable lack of explicit theoretical basis for models of IPE. In many cases, senior managers determined the institutional approach to IPE which academic staff then needed to deliver. Curriculum developers reported adopting a largely practical approach to IPE curriculum development. However, questioning that focused on learning and teaching methods revealed that a range of learning theories was used implicitly. The significance of these findings is discussed with recommendations to inform future curriculum development of IPE initiatives.

Testing theory in interprofessional education: social capital as a case study.

Theory is essential to understand our interprofessional educational (IPE) practice. As a discipline, IPE has moved from being widely atheoretical to having a plethora of theories imported from the psychosocial disciplines that have utility to understand, articulate and improve IPE practice and evaluation. This paper proposes that when taking this deductive approach to theoretical development in IPE, a greater focus must now be placed on the rigorous testing of these theories within the IPE context. It synthesizes two approaches to achieving this, using the social capital theory as a case study, and focuses on the first two stages of this synthesis: first, the identification of the concepts and propositions that make up a theory within the study context and second, the value-based judgments made by the researcher and other stakeholders on the utility of these propositions. The interprofessional student group is chosen as a possible exemplar of a social network and theory-derived concepts and propositions are identified and classified within this context. With a focus on physical network characteristics, validation of these propositions with a sample of IPE educationalists is described. We present a range of propositions specifically related to the size and mix of IPE student groups, the frequency and level with which students participate in these as well as some of the existing evidence that have explored these propositions to date. Refined propositions and the way forward in the future application and empirical testing of social capital theory in IPE are presented.

IN-2-THEORY--Interprofessional theory, scholarship and collaboration: a community of practice.

Theoretical awareness is essential in the development and delivery of effective interprofessional education and collaborative practice (PECP). The objective of this paper was to explain the origins and purpose of an international network, IN-2-THEORY--interprofessional theory, scholarship and collaboration: a community of practice (CoP) that aims to build theoretical rigor in IPECP. It explains why the network is viewed as a CoP and lays out the way forward for the community based on the principles for developing a CoP outlined by Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002).

Theoretical insights into interprofessional education.

This article argues for the need for theory in the practice of interprofessional education. It highlights the range of theories available to interprofessional educators and promotes the practical application of these to interprofessional learning and teaching. It summarises the AMEE Guides in Medical Education publication entitled Theoretical Insights into Interprofessional Education: AMEE Guide No. 62, where the practical application of three theories, social capital, social constructivism and a sociological perspective of interprofessional education are discussed in-depth through the lens of a case study. The key conclusions of these discussions are presented in this article.

Theoretical insights into interprofessional education: AMEE Guide No. 62.

In this Guide, we support the need for theory in the practice of interprofessional education and highlight a range of theories that can be applied to interprofessional education. We specifically discuss the application of theories that support the social dimensions of interprofessional learning and teaching, choosing by way of illustration the theory of social capital, adult learning theory and a sociological perspective of interprofessional education. We introduce some of the key ideas behind each theory and then apply these to a case study about the development and delivery of interprofessional education for pre-registration healthcare sciences students. We suggest a model that assists with the management of the numerous theories potentially available to the interprofessional educator. In this model, context is central and a range of dimensions are presented for the reader to decide which, when, why and how to use a theory. We also present some practical guidelines of how theories may be translated into tangible curriculum opportunities. Using social capital theory, we show how theory can be used to defend and present the benefits of learning in an interprofessional group. We also show how this theory can guide thinking as to how interprofessional learning networks can best be constructed to achieve these benefits. Using adult learning theories, we explore the rationale and importance of problem solving, facilitation and scaffolding in the design of interprofessional curricula. Finally, from a sociological perspective, using Bernstein's concepts of regions and terrains, we explore the concepts of socialisation as a means of understanding the resistance to interprofessional education sometimes experienced by curriculum developers. We advocate for new, parallel ways of viewing professional knowledge and the development of an interprofessional knowledge terrain that is understood and is contributed to by all practitioners and, importantly, is centred on the needs of the patient or client. Through practical application of theory, we anticipate that our readers will be able to reflect and inform their current habitual practices and develop new and innovative ways of perceiving and developing their interprofessional education practice.