Complexities of learning together: students’ experience of face-to-face interprofessional groups

Interdisciplinary group work, as a method of learning, has become an essential component of most interprofessional undergraduate curricula in health and social care. Research into the effectiveness of these groups has concentrated on the dynamics of interaction between students from the different professions and focused largely on stereotyping and power. However, within small groups, social and psychological pressures are likely to influence participants’ behaviours and have a dramatic impact on overall effectiveness. Using qualitative data from an evaluative research study of a pre-qualifying interprofessional undergraduate curriculum, the experience of students engaged in face-to-face group learning was examined. Data were collected from 15 groups of health and social care students across two sites of a university in the UK. Age, gender, experience and the demographic composition of the group affected individuals’ levels of participation. Analysis of group observations, student interviews and focus groups revealed a range of influences on group interaction. These include participation, group roles, tasks and cohesion and a tendency to avoid conflict.