Peer support groups: fostering a deeper approach to learning through critical reflection on practice

Twenty part‐time first year foundation degree students and two tutors in an English higher education institution engaged in an internally funded collaborative action research project. We explored the establishment of peer support groups to support students’ reflection on practice, based on the 10 principles of reflective practice described by Ghaye and Ghaye in 1998 Ghaye, A. and Ghaye, K. 1998. Teaching and learning through critical reflective practice, London: David Fulton. [Google Scholar]. Over 10 weeks the tutor and students engaged in weekly peer group discussions focusing on students’ developmental understanding and use of each principle. As participant observer over six weeks I noted and reflected upon incidents that had relevance to the investigation. The students kept group reflective records and the module tutor wrote an informal diary record of her perceptions of the broader impact of the peer group sessions over time. We all engaged in weekly discussions about the initiative. Regular peer group activities appeared to support deeper learning approaches and an increase in students’ reflective capacity.