Conceptualizing the process of interprofessional knowledge construction: multidisciplinary student groups addressing complex child welfare cases in higher education

This study focuses on students’ interprofessional knowledge construction, with the aim of conceptualizing the process. We examined how student teachers, social work students, and law students collaboratively constructed interprofessional knowledge while addressing complex child welfare cases in a study course at a Finnish university. These three disciplines represent knowledge-based professions where ethical decision-making and sophisticated knowledge processing are essential for problem-solving. The research questions were: (1) How do multidisciplinary student groups construct interprofessional knowledge when addressing complex child welfare cases? (2) How can the process of students’ interprofessional knowledge construction be conceptualized? This qualitative study analyzed 53 students’ reflective essays using a deductive approach. We applied the model of knowledge hierarchy—including the elements of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom—as an analytical framework. The findings show that the students’ interprofessional knowledge construction concerned these elements, forming a non-linear and complex process. Knowledge construction involved giving meaning to the shared problem, contextualizing it, and generating insights both professionally and interprofessionally when moving between data, information, knowledge, and wisdom, as illustrated in the further-developed model. This model offers a novel conceptual framework for understanding interprofessional learning. By conceptualizing this process, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how interprofessional knowledge construction can be taught and learned in higher education settings. It highlights the importance of research in developing pedagogical models that support collaborative expertise.