The interactional communication of feedback in clinical education: A focused ethnographic study in a hierarchical and collectivist culture

Background: The definition of feedback in clinical education has shifted from information delivery to student-teacher dialogue. However, based on Hofstede's theory, countries with large power distance or a robust social hierarchy and collectivistic cultural dimensions can reduce the feedback dialogue to a minimum. Indonesia is classified in this group, with some Asian, African, Mediterranean, and Latin American countries. This study explores the interactional communication of feedback during clinical education in a hierarchical and collectivistic context.

Methods: The focused ethnographic approach was applied to the clinical rotation program in an Indonesian teaching hospital. Data sources included observations of feedback episodes during workplace-based assessments followed by interviews with clinical supervisors and students. The data were compiled within 16 weeks of observation in 7 groups of clinical departments, consisting of 28 field notes, audiotaped interviews including nine focus group discussions of students (N = 42), and seven in-depth interviews with clinical supervisors. Data were analyzed through transcription, coding, categorization, and thematic analysis using the symbolic interactionist perspective.

Results: We identified four themes representing actual interactional communication and its 'meaning' or interpretation. The interactional communication in feedback is described in the first and second themes, such as 1) Students play the subordinate roles in a feedback dialogue; 2) The feedback content is focused on explanation and students' limitations. The third and fourth themes represent the clinical supervisors' and students' interpretation of their feedback experience, such as 3) Clinical supervisors' perspectives are mostly on dissatisfaction and teaching authority; 4) Students' acceptance of reality and negative affection.

Conclusions: This study shows that the social gap between students and clinical supervisors in Indonesia, and other countries in the same cultural classification, potentially causes communication barriers in the feedback dialogue. The adaptation of 'feedback as a dialogue' requires further effort and research to develop communication strategies in feedback that consider the national culture and context.