Critical Incident Analysis - Deadly Barriers - Cyclist Didn't See Them in Dark

Introduction

1. This is a 300 to 800-word write-up on my initial thoughts, ideas and insights of what could eventually make up the layout and content of my final article.

Understanding ‘critical incident’

2. To understand the requirements for this activity, I believe I first must attain a degree of understanding of what 'critical incident' is about. My original thought about ‘critical incident’ is just as it was - an incident of critical proportions.

3. However, after reading Burgum and Bridge (1997)'s article on their application of 'critical incident' as a tool for professional education to develop the skills on reflection and critical thinking amongst midwives, I discover that 'any event could be analysed to create a critical incident'.

4. My thoughts on the term achieve even greater clarity when I refer to Tripp (1993:24-25). He described critical incidents as "mostly straight forward accounts of very commonplace events that occur in routine professional practice which are critical in the rather different sense that they are indicative of underlying trends, motives and structures. These incidents appear to be 'typical' rather than 'critical' at first sight, but are rendered critical through analysis." [I added the emphasis].

5. The stylised portion of the statement seems to indicate that it is not how critical the impact of the event has on the stakeholders that deem it an 'critical incident' but how critical we look at the causes to uncover the underlying currents of incident that renders it critical.

6. In doing so, I could learn from the occurrence, and with practice, it creates a space that prevents me from instinctively reacting to the event, as it occurs, for it face value, which is like giving breathing a thought before inhaling the breathe. This delayed-reaction mode could help me uncover options that are not available to me when I am in my instinct-reaction mode, thereby increases my flexibility for more comprehensive response.

7. This also indicates the application of 'critical incident' analysis could:

a. Enhance reflection. The approach provides a structure of looking at the incident reflectively. Tripp (1993:26) has advocated such an approach, which is what are asked for in this assignment. This allows me to habitually dedicate time for recalling the incident and running through the sequence in the event.
b. Improve critical thinking. The most enlightening thing about Tripp's statement is that I don't have to wait for a critical incident to apply the critical analysis. An ordinary incident is as good an item for analysis when we look at it critically through its contexts - political and social dimensions to uncover its 'trends, motives and structures'.

c. Establish positions. What is perhaps useful about the analysis is that the incident provides me an opportunity to determine a stand now, which I could apply in the future. Establishing and shifting positions could influence and shape my values and beliefs systems.

d. Develop strategies. From positions, strategies could be developed and applied onto events of a similar nature.

Conclusion

8. The direction for the completed 5,000-word document for Activity One of Assignment Two will be the application of Tripp's technology to a chosen incident ("DEADLY BARRIERS - Cyclist didn't see them in dark" By Teh Jen Lee (2005)) to demonstrate its power in revealing the drivers creating the incident, and providing responses to it.

9. One possible presentation of the article could contain five key headers. These are:

a. Outline of what I understood as ‘critical incident’,

b. Explanation of the incident under review,

c. Briefs on the contexts within which the incident occurred. Including:

· Specific context of my workplace, and

· Broader political context.

d. Dilemmas for policy making evidenced by these incidents, and

e. Ways in which these dilemmas were/might be ‘settled’, which include a discussion on the notion of ‘policy settlement’.

Reference

Tripp, D. (1993). Critical incidents in teaching. Developing professional judgement. London: Routledge.

Burgum, M. and Bridge, C. (1997). Using critical incidents in professional education to develop skills of reflection and critical thinking.

Teh Jen Lee (16 July 2005). DEADLY BARRIERS - Cyclist didn't see them in dark, Singapore: The New Paper.

This article was first written on 26 Mar 2007 and was further developed into a full article on 12 Apr 2007.
Copyright 2007. Anthony Mok. All Rights Reserved.