How recovery college principles are manifested in practice: a systematic observational study of course delivery

Purpose The RC learning model is structured around three interconnected components: principles, operations and pedagogical strategies. A fourth component, mechanisms of action, operates transversally. While RC principles are well documented, the operationalisation of these principles in course delivery remains underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by using direct observation to examine how principles and operations are enacted during RC courses. Design/methodology/approach Systematic observation was used as the primary data collection method. Four RC courses were observed using ActoGraph, a software application that produces chronological logs of systematic observational data. Five variables are studied: types of knowledge, types of interaction, material resources, modes of transmission and activity. The analysis focused on descriptive statistics to characterise the distribution of time allocated to each observable within the five study variables. For each course and across all courses combined, the mean duration was calculated for each observable. Findings The results provide an overview of RC course composition in terms of knowledge shared, interaction types, materials and activities. Findings suggest that the theoretical foundations of the RC learning model are effectively enacted in RC courses. Taken together, the distributions illustrate how the model’s conceptual characterisation and, more specifically, its principles and mechanisms of action may be operationalised in practice. Originality/value Few empirical studies have adopted this methodology to investigate how operations are deployed during RC course. This exploratory study identifies practices that contribute to the effectiveness of the RC learning model and provides insights to refine its theoretical and practical foundations further.