Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Specialist Case Studies

Introduction

Once you enrol for this case study you will be provided a log-in to your student area accessed from the 'LOGBOOK LOGIN' button on the Mbodies website homepage.   Here you will start by entering details of your clients and classes and then will complete the individual Logs for the sessions that you teach.   At the end of the sessions you will complete an overall summary for the complete logbook,   However if you choose you can also enter intermediate summaries as well as a final summary.
 
You will be able to review your logs from within this area. Likewise Mbodies tutors will be able to observe your progress with your clients and make a final assessment of your reflective log -  which can be printed out for you as a portfolio record to add to your course certificate.

Objectives

Reflective case studies  are a challenging, demanding, and often frustrating process that is often most successful when discussed with peers before logging sessions.
 
Our objectives in asking you to produce a reflective case study is to introduce you to a method of assessing your understanding  the education you have taken in your modules and can not only deliver quality education in a group as well as in a  one-on one environment  
 
Although the term reflective practice is interpreted and understood in different ways, it is widely held that this method of analysis develops in educationalists and practitioners a method of learning greater self-awareness about what and why you are choosing to teach in a particular way  and the impact that your choices of exercise, style of teaching and the teaching environment  have  on your performance and that of your customers.
 
This awareness in turn creates opportunities for professional growth and development.

Prerequisites

The case study must include 5x sessions with a pre natal client (group or 1:1 sessions) and 5x sessions with a post natal client or a client with post natal issues i.e. post c-section or  diastasis recti.

Duration

There is a 6 month period from requesting the start of your Reflective log until the log must be completed.   However it is envisaged that it should not take more than 3 months from the start of the first logged session until the completion of the cases study.

Further Details

In writing your reflective case Study you may find it useful to look at the points below which are intended to help you to understand how you might approach your reflective analysis of each of your sessions and what we are looking for in your overall reflective case study.
  • The classes or personal one on one sessions are introduced and the background of the client / class and their purpose is described.
  • As you write your case study you need to be able to demonstrate that you understand the purpose and the value of writing and thinking in a reflective way as you progress through the Case Study, using the pointer questions in your online case log as a guide to select and description components of your class or session on which to reflect.
  • Once the organisational (structure and environment) and social (personal interaction between yourself, clients and within the class)  context is established and the exercises chosen are described; we are looking for insight into how the practical social and environmental issues which you have reflected upon earlier play out during the sessions and how they affect your decision making for future sessions. 
  • As the writer you need to place yourself in the centre when writing about your sessions therefore writing in the First Person is acceptable in this type of case study.
  • Once you have analysed the events i.e. what happened, what decisions you made and why (how did reflection influence your decisions and new or future planned actions), 
  • Your view of the perspectives and reactions of others,  the social interaction between you and your customers and your reflection on how this affected the class or session is looked for and if/where there is any conflict between your goals, aspirations, plans and requests and the actions and thoughts of the clients you should describe the thought patterns and actions taken to get to an 'end point' (Common Ground).
  • At times you may wish to critique your own thoughts and actions as if you were somebody observing you from above (Comment/critical thinking and questioning on personal behaviour/actions; a comment on reactions/emotions present are all helpful ways of reflecting).
  • It is important for you to identify learning as it happens -  both from the client and your own learning in the process of the sessions.
  • Where possible you should refer back to things you have been taught on your courses or have read around the subject or bring from your past professional life
  • Any additional ideas and further observations may be introduced ( i.e. relevant other knowledge, experience, feelings, intuitions and suggestions from others, e.g. new information, theory, other factors such as ethical, moral, socio-political context), to illustrate how you came to the decisions, actions and understandings that you describe. 
  • Where you quote academic sources or points made in the courses or in your manuals these should be appropriately referenced so that a reader can understand the context that you are using these sources.
  • A key purpose of a reflective case study is to show the readers and yourself as you reflect how the experience of each session individually and of the progressive repetition of regular sessions/classes has contributed to better equip you to deal with challenges you may face as an instructor with this or with similar Special Populations in the future.
  • In assessing and reviewing your case study we are looking to see that throughout your sessions and in your periodic or final summaries, 'Reflective' thinking is present: We want to see that you are able to work with various material physical, social, communication etc.   That you can link relevant teaching you have received or theory you have read with your practice.
  • We are also looking to see if you can view your decisions and actions and those of your customers and clients from different points of view (known as 'frames'), also that you are able to ‘step back’ from the situation, and dissect or construct decisions and actions in a way that shows us that you are continuing to learn outside of your formal education with Mbodies.   a position that reflects their understanding of their own learning process.
  • We are particularly looking to see if once you reflect and come to conclusions as a result of reflection you can then move forwards and make appropriate future decisions and actions.
  • Most people new to reflective thinking and producing reflective case studies find that the process is initially frustrating and tiring as they start to think in a different way to normal -  however as they proceed through the reflective log they realise just how valuable the process is in improving personal ability, decision making and in delivering critically thought out sessions.
 
Further reading for those who are intrigued to know more about self reflection as a means of learning and Personal Professional Development.
 
Boyd, E., Fales, A. (1983). Reflective Learning: Key to learning from experience. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 23(2), 99–117.
 
Boud, D., Keogh, R., Walker, D. (2005). Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
 
Brockbank, A., McGill, I., Beech, N. (2002). Reflective Learning in Practice. Burlington: Gower Publishing. 
 
Moon, J. A. (1999). Reflection in Learning and Professional Development. Theory and Practice. London and New York: RoutledgeFalmer. 
Enrol on this course
Typical course price: £50.00*
* The case study fee is included in the Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Specialist package.
Start dates for this course
Dates for this course are not currently available. If you are interested in this course, please contact us
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