Portfolios and Professional Development in the Health Professions

Abstract

Increasing concern in professional education has focused on the gap between thought and action, theory and practice, the academy and the everyday world. Reflection, a process of reviewing, reenacting, and analyzing one's performance, has been proposed as a process in which a professional can learn from experience. The purpose of this article is to report the results of a project that piloted the use of portfolios as a vehicle for professional development and reflection in two health professions, nursing and physical therapy. Evaluation results obtained through a qualitative content analysis of student portfolios and studentfeedback data suggest that student reflection on professional development was promoted, although the portfolios varied in their structure and complexity. Identified portfolio components and implementation benefits and barriers are relevant findings for educators wishing tofacilitate reflection.