Elisabeth Dahlborg

University West,Sweden

Abstract Title: Promoting Norm-Critical Pedagogy in Healthcare Education: A Web-Based Training Initiative for Educators

Biography:

Elisabeth Dahlborg is a professor in Work integrated learning and in Caring sciences. Her background is nursing. She wrote her dissertation in nursing pedagogics in 2003. Her research interests include both caring in various contexts and learning. In recent years, her focus has been on norm-critical perspectives and on developing discourse analysis as a method by studying how patients are constructed in different documents at various levels. She has worked in nursing education for more than thirty years and has authored several textbooks, including ones on equitable care and norm-critical perspectives, as well as a methodological book on writing literature-based theses. Regarding learning, her focus has been on how the connection between theory and practice can lead to the development of praxis knowledge among nurses.

Research Interest:

Background: Healthcare is not always delivered on equal terms; social norms related to gender, sexuality, age, and other identity dimensions shape assumptions about individuals, influencing whether their needs are acknowledged and care is delivered equitably. Methods: To address these disparities, we developed an English-language, web-based training course aimed at educators in healthcare fields. With a work-integrated approach, the course offers foundational knowledge about how social norms impact the provision of care and how health educators with support of norm-criticism can further their own teaching practices to promote equitable care. The structure of the course is divided into three thematic modules: a) an immersive exploration of societal norms using observational method, b) understanding othering of marginalized groups and the educator’s own positionality by recorded lectures and self-directed exercises, and c) a digital creative examination of the course content. Each module fosters educators’ self-reflection on their own norm-based assumptions and stereotypes. Results: Although the course was only recently launched, the initial uptake by international educators has been modest yet promising. Participant feedback indicates increased awareness and preparedness to incorporate norm-critical perspectives in their teaching practices. Conclusions: This course exemplifies an accessible and scalable pedagogical tool for integrating norm-critical approaches into healthcare education.