Dialogues with Prisoners as Transformative Learning Experiences

in Teaching Humanities for Undergraduate Medical Students

Suthee Rattanamongkolgul, Sirinun Nilwarangkoon, Nantana Chumchuay, Faculty of Medicine, Srinakharinwirot University , Bangkok, THAILAND
Kusuma Susiriwattananon, Department of Corrections, Ministry of Justice , Nakhon Nayok Provincial Prison , Nakhon Nayok, THAILAND
Supalak Khemthong, Supansa Tajai, Mahidol University , Faculty of Physical Therapy , Bangkok, THAILAND

INTRODUCTION RESULTS CONCLUSIONS

Teaching humanities to medical students cannot
be simply done using a conventional lecture.
This study integrates transformative learning
theory as a framework; dilemma, self-reflection
and discourse.
OBJECTIVE
to examine whether dialogues with prisoners as
a dilemma can change the perception of medical
students towards prison and prisoners indicated
as humanity.
A set of 71 pre and post-visit pictures (37 males • An dialogue with a prisoner as dilemma
and 34 females), almost aged 19-20 years old complement to deep listening together with
were analysed. The findings indicated the trend self-reflections and sharing among the peers
of student perception of prison and prisoners could be a transformative learning framework
tends to be towards the positive perception with in learning humanities. In addition,
statistically significant improvement (Odds ratio • Drawing pictures could be a tool for authentic
=3.0; 95%CI=1.19-7.56) assessment on learning in humanities.
Pictures of prisons and prisoners drew by medical students

Before After Before After

METHODS Before After Before After

The study was conducted in 2014 in 71 medical
students who were asked to watch a video clip
of Oprah Winfrey discussing deep listening with
Thich Nhat Hanh <https://youtu.be/
lyUxYflkhzo> and draw a two pictures to
illustrate their perception about prisons and
prisoners before and after having dialogues with
a prisoner.
Reflection from a medical student
“before coming I drew the picture in grey, the prison was a quiet, boring and
restrictive and the prisoners were not friendly. However, after visiting, actually the
prison is not unpleasant  or too quiet. Most prisoners can adjust themselves with
normal lives. Some prisoners can mentally help others. This made me realised that
what I thought were not really true; it could be influenced by media and telling
from the others.”

Numbers of pictures with positive and negative perspectives before and after dialogues

Before dialogue
Postive image Negative image
When arriving the prison, the medical students 60
were presented with responsibility of the prison Positive Negative 60
on talking care of the prisoners; then paired perspective perspective
45
with a prisoner for a dialogue within 45
47
After dialogue

Positive
Number

minutes. The students were asked to illustrate a 6 (8.5%) 18 (25.4%)

picture of a prison again before giving a
reflection to the class. The pictures printed
perspective 30
before and after dialogues were inspected by a Negative
group of university students in another perspective
6 (8.5%) 41 (57.7%)
15 24
university and classified into positive and
negative perspectives and finally statistically Statistical Odds ratio= 3.0(1.19-7.56) 11
compared using McNemar Chi Square. analysis p-value= 0.02 0
Before dialogue After dialogue
Special thanks to all prisoners kindly giving dialogues, the Nakhon Nayok custodians taking care the medical students and Mahidol students interpreting the pictures
3.0(1.2-7.6) p-value=
AMEE 2015 SECC, Glasgow, UK, 5-9 September 2015