Evaluating service user pedagogy in UK higher education: Validating the Huddersfield Service User Pedagogy Scale

Background: There is global recognition that the inclusion of service users in the education of health and social care students in higher education can lead to more compassionate professional identities which will enable better decision making. However, to date there is no systematic tool to explore learning and service user involvement in the curriculum. Objectives: To generate and validate a psychometric instrument which will allow educators to evaluate service user pedagogy. Design: Construction and validation of a new scale. Participants and Settings: 365 undergraduate students from health and social care departments in two universities. Results: A two correlated factor scale. Factor 1 – perceived presence of service users in the taught curriculum and factor 2 – professionals and service users working together (correlation between factor 1 and factor 2 – r = 0.32). Conclusions: The Huddersfield Service User Pedagogy Scale provides a valid instrument for educators to evaluate student learning. In addition, the tool can contribute to student reflections on their shifting professional identities as they progress through their studies.