Flow experiences improve mindfulness of educational emotions during interprofessional training. Meta-analysis of a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction

Csikszentmihalyi defines “flow experience” as the state of mind students experience when the average skills and challenges while learning are above their own average.

Objectives

Delle Fave, Massimi, & Bassi optimal experiences are used to assess students’ flow experience during interprofessional education (IPE).

Aims

To use the emotions comprising the Milan school eight-channel model [“afraid, concerned, bored, relaxed, in control, excited, happy (‘flow’), and glad”] to assess flow experiences of undergraduate health care students during interprofessional training.

Methods

Twenty-seven undergraduate health care students undergoing IPE training recoded their flow emotions during discussion of a clinical case in ward rounds, patient care in interprofessional teams, self-reflective practice at the end of each day of training and supervision of teachers. Statistical evaluation using meta-analysis with Tau squared (t²), Cochrane's Q and I² provided the results (Table 1).

Results

As reported in Table 1, interactions with teachers (I² = 60.98%), patient care (I² = 58.87%) and discussion of clinical cases (I² = 63.31%) reported higher variability, significant at P < 0.05. The most frequent emotions were “relaxed” (> 66%) and “in control” (> 66%) but not “flow” (> 20%).

Conclusions

Results show that challenges were below the skills possessed, which can slow down the learning process.

Table 1

Results for flow experiences in interprofessional education.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.