title: "It's a funny old game". Football as an educational metaphor within induction to practice-based interprofessional learning.
abstract: The Common Learning Programme in the North East of England (CLPNE) sought to introduce interprofessional education into the practice setting for pre-registration health and social care students. Students, clinical educators/mentors, and facilitators met within groups over a period of 3 - 6 weeks to explore interprofessional working and learning together. This paper evaluates the use of a game, the Football Stadium, to stimulate participants' exploration of practice-based interprofessional working and learning at CLPNE induction sessions. Data consisting of verbal and written feedback from students and clinical educators/mentors, and field notes from facilitators covering 22 CLPNE pilot sites (February 2003 - July 2005) was supplemented by researcher observation at 12 sites. Two themes emerged from the data: the use of the Football Stadium as an "ice-breaker" at team induction and, the use of the Football Stadium as a vehicle to facilitate reflective learning. Key issues included personal identity and role within a novice--expert continuum, creating and developing the team environment and, enhancing and developing learning communities. Although recognized as requiring careful, sensitive facilitation, the Football Stadium is a simple means to present learning opportunities for interprofessional education within a non-threatening learning environment that facilitates active participation.
authors.affiliation: Northumbria University, New Castle upon Tyne, UK. john.stephens@unn.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abbott-Brailey
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pearson
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003479:Curriculum; D006126:Group Processes; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D012916:Soccer