Motivational Interviewing in higher education classrooms: an interdisciplinary adventure

The central question which this project sought to examine was the way in which motivational interviewing, a technique used in healthcare, could be adapted for use in higher education (HE). Motivational interviewing (MI) is used in a therapeutic setting for working collaboratively with clients in order to change behavior patterns. It is a way of working which is designed to facilitate change in a way that is non-judgemental. Rather than an adversarial or deficit model of the person, MI focuses on resolving ambivalence and promoting confidence regarding change (Jones & Arnold, 2009; Miller, 2000). Although in a therapeutic setting it is usually used one-to-one our aim was to take the key elements and adapt them for use in a higher education classroom (Wells, Jones, & Jones, 2014). In this chapter we follow the model for reflective practice outlined by Rolfe, Freshwater and Jasper (2001) which poses the questions: ‘What? So what? And now what?’