Journal Club
What is a journal club?
A journal club is an educational meeting in which a group of readers discuss published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in order to keep abreast of new knowledge.
Studies have reported that journal clubs help readers to keep up with current findings, exercise their critical thinking and appraisal skills, improve their presentation and discussion abilities, and promote change in practice (see Aweid et al., 2021; Bhattacharya, 2017; Boyne & Beadle, 2017; Mark et al., 2021).
The MARNet Journal Club is held virtually on a regular basis and is offered free of charge for all participants. The session will be moderated by committee members, secretariat committees, or the authors of the research articles themselves. We aim to critically discuss action research articles/book chapters to encourage readers to engage with scholarly work. The chosen articles may be in English or Bahasa Melayu and will be chosen based on the needs and interests of the participants. All registered readers are encouraged to read the article or book chapter in advance of each session, to engage in fruitful discussions.
Recommended readings:
Aweid, B., Haider, Z., Wehbe, M., & Hunter, A. (2021). Educational benefits of the online journal club: a systematic review. Medical Teacher, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159X.2021.1963424
Bhattacharya, S. (2017). Journal club and post-graduate medical education. Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery, 50(03), 302-305. https://dx.doi.org/10.4103%2Fijps.IJPS_222_17
Boyne, M., & Beadle, H. (2017). Journal Club: A mechanism for bringing evidenced based practice into school?. Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal, 9(2), 14-23.
Mark, I., Sonbol, M., & Abbasian, C. (2021). Running a journal club in 2020: Reflections and challenges. BJPsych Bulletin, 45(6), 339-342. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjb.2020.121
Veresoglou, S. D., & Rillig, M. C. (2018). Research experience modifies how participants profit from journal clubs in academia. Journal of Biological Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2018.1469541
The structure of the journal club is as follows:
- Introduction and readers will be divided into several breakout rooms
2. Breakout room discussions and produce written summaries
3. Representative readers from breakout rooms present the outcomes of discussions in main room
4. Summary from moderator and conclusion
Past Event | Journal Club
The role of critical friends in action research: A framework for design and implementation
Abstract
The primary purpose of action research carried out by teachers is to improve their own educational and pedagogical practices in a specific context. However, teachers need to develop a more critical stance on their practice to interrogate and validate their action research systematically. Literature suggests that action research can be strengthened through the involvement of critical friends who can ask provocative questions, provide data to be examined through another lens, and offer a critique of a person’s work as a friend. This narrative review paper seeks to emphasize the role of critical friends and propose a critical friend framework that can be integrated into action research studies. It extensively reviews the role of critical friends in action research with illustrations from previous studies. It offers a critical friend’s protocol according to the action research process of self-reflective cycles, namely reconnaissance, planning, action and observation, and reflection. It is therefore suggested that teachers should consider the incorporation of critical friends into their action research studies.
Mat Noor, M. S. A., & Shafee, A. (2021). The role of critical friends in action research: A framework for design and implementation. Practitioner Research, 3, 1-33. https://doi.org/10.32890/pr2021.3.1
Moderators
Dr Syafiq Mat Noor
University of Leeds, United Kingdom
Dr Azyan Shafee
Parliament of Malaysia
Participating in a MARNet Journal Club
- The event will be held via Zoom, and you will need to register with a Zoom account in advance.
- The session will be free for all people. MARNet members will need to have a membership ID before registering, and non-members should click on the non-member registration tab.
- You will be sent the link to the session 3-7 days before the event. The invitation will include the copy of the article/book chapter and a review form.
- For the best viewing experience, please use a laptop or computer.
- Participants will be divided into several groups. Discussions will be held through breakout rooms, and we recommend turning on your camera.
- After the group discussion, the group representative will present the results of the discussion in the main room.
- It is best to check your internet connection at least 10 minutes before the event, and the MARNet Journal Club team will attempt to assist with any problems.
- For MARNet members, participation in the session will also be recorded as a MARNet CPD point and a transcript certificate will be issued at the end of the year.
- Participation from the Ministry of Education’s officers will be recorded in the Sistem Pengurusan Latihan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (SPLKPM) merits, as a Professional Learning Community (PLC) activity and “Book Reading" section.
Event Details
- Date
- 13 September 2023 (Wednesday)
- Time
- 08:30 - 10:30 p.m. (MYT)
- Venue/Platform
- Online (Zoom)
- Prices
- MARNet Member* RM0.00
- *This event is for MARNet members only
Past Event | Journal Club
Participatory action research in culturally complex societies: Opportunities and challenges
Abstract
One of the aims of participatory action research (PAR) is to bring realities of lives closer together through dialogue and ‘conscientization’, raising critical awareness among participants from all backgrounds. Promoting participation often assumes a power shift from the decision-makers to the majority of society, who can be the end-receivers of decisions made. Once some kind of awareness is achieved, the participants should be able to challenge the causes of their perceived oppression, or resolve the suffering that is endured, if that is what they hope to achieve. However, the situation is more complex in many contemporary societies, in which there are not only differing cultural beliefs related to religion, but different ontologies about being and living in the world. There is much contemporary debate about the possibilities of critique that take on board divergent sociomaterial realities within the same classroom. Practical and structural differences can pose challenges to conducting PAR research. In this article, we address the distinctive nature of PAR in relation to a culturally diverse group of participants. We argue that research using a PAR framework can result in subtle ethical challenges, which also provide insights for opportunities and strategies. Drawing from the authors’ experiences in multicultural education and working with culturally diverse youth and postgraduate students, opportunities and challenges of applying a PAR approach are discussed. We conclude with the suggestion that PAR remains consistent with its original transformative goals, but also remain open to further explorations of activism that address pressing contemporary concerns within culturally complex societies.
Balakrishnan, V., & Claiborne, L. (2017). Participatory action research in culturally complex societies: Opportunities and challenges. Educational Action Research, 25(2), 185-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2016.1206480
Moderator
Assoc Prof Dr Vishalache Balakrishnan
Universiti Malaya
Participating in a MARNet Journal Club
- The event will be held via Zoom, and you will need to register with a Zoom account in advance.
- The session will be free for all people. MARNet members will need to have a membership ID before registering, and non-members should click on the non-member registration tab.
- You will be sent the link to the session 3-7 days before the event. The invitation will include the copy of the article/book chapter and a review form.
- For the best viewing experience, please use a laptop or computer.
- Participants will be divided into several groups. Discussions will be held through breakout rooms, and we recommend turning on your camera.
- After the group discussion, the group representative will present the results of the discussion in the main room.
- It is best to check your internet connection at least 10 minutes before the event, and the MARNet Journal Club team will attempt to assist with any problems.
- For MARNet members, participation in the session will also be recorded as a MARNet CPD point and a transcript certificate will be issued at the end of the year.
- Participation from the Ministry of Education’s officers will be recorded in the Sistem Pengurusan Latihan Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (SPLKPM) merits, as a Professional Learning Community (PLC) activity and “Book Reading" section.
Event Details
- Date
- 13 April 2022 (Wednesday)
- Time
- 09:00 - 11:00 p.m. (MYT)
- Venue/Platform
- Online (Zoom)
- Prices
- MARNet Member* RM0.00
- Non-member* RM00.00
- *This event is FREE for all
Past Event | Journal Club
Photovoice: Concept, Methodology, and Use for Participatory Needs Assessment
Abstract
Photovoice is a process by which people can identify, represent, and enhance their community through a specific photographic technique. As a practice based in the production of knowledge, photovoice has three main goals: (1) to enable people to record and reflect their community’s strengths and concerns, (2) to promote critical dialogue and knowledge about important issues through large and small group discussion of photographs, and (3) to reach policymakers. Applying photovoice to public health promotion, the authors describe the methodology and analyze its value for participatory needs assessment. They discuss the development of the photovoice concept, advantages and disadvantages, key elements, participatory analysis, materials and resources, and implications for practice.
Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24(3), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309
Moderators
Dr Yoon Sook Jhee
SEGi University
Dr Pang Jee Ching
SEGi University
Event Details
- Date
- 9 February 2022 (Wednesday)
- Time
- 09:00 - 11:00 p.m. (MYT)
- Venue/Platform
- Online (Zoom)
- Prices
- MARNet Member* RM0.00
- Non-member* RM00.00
- *This event is FREE for all
Get In Touch
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Secretariat or fill the form below.
Mrs Suriani Alland Rice Oxley
event[a]marnet.my