Abstract
Background
Near-peer teaching is increasingly used in medical education, supporting or replacing faculty teaching. It has positive aspects for learners and tutors, some of which are explained by higher social and cognitive congruence between learners and near-peer tutors (NPTs). This study investigates the optimal combination of faculty tutors (FTs) and NPTs in an abdominal ultrasound course.
Methods
Sixty-four third-year medical students underwent a basic ultrasound course, with 75% of lessons taught by NPTs and 25% by FTs. Each of four groups had a different faculty teaching timing. A mixed methods approach used a survey and semi-structured interviews at the course end to elicit learners’ preferences, and end-of-course examination scores to look for differences in outcomes.
Results
Most learners preferred having faculty teaching in the second half of the course, saying it would be overwhelming to start with FTs. Learners preferred between a quarter and a third of the teaching to be from FTs, with NPTs rated better at teaching basics, and FTs contributing unique, helpful clinical knowledge. There was no significant between-group difference in examination scores.
Conclusions
Medical students preferred most of their teaching to be from NPTs, with some faculty input in the second half of the course.
Near-peer teaching is increasingly used in medical education, supporting or replacing faculty teaching. It has positive aspects for learners and tutors, some of which are explained by higher social and cognitive congruence between learners and near-peer tutors (NPTs). This study investigates the optimal combination of faculty tutors (FTs) and NPTs in an abdominal ultrasound course.
Methods
Sixty-four third-year medical students underwent a basic ultrasound course, with 75% of lessons taught by NPTs and 25% by FTs. Each of four groups had a different faculty teaching timing. A mixed methods approach used a survey and semi-structured interviews at the course end to elicit learners’ preferences, and end-of-course examination scores to look for differences in outcomes.
Results
Most learners preferred having faculty teaching in the second half of the course, saying it would be overwhelming to start with FTs. Learners preferred between a quarter and a third of the teaching to be from FTs, with NPTs rated better at teaching basics, and FTs contributing unique, helpful clinical knowledge. There was no significant between-group difference in examination scores.
Conclusions
Medical students preferred most of their teaching to be from NPTs, with some faculty input in the second half of the course.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1448-1455 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Medical Teacher |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| Early online date | 1 Feb 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Acknowledgements
We thank everyone from ‘Young Sonographers Bern’ and ‘Berner Institut für Hausarztmedizin’ (BIHAM) who helped organising the ultrasound course. We also thank all the learners, near-peer and faculty tutors taking part in the study and in the pilot questionnaires or interviews.Funding
The authors report that there is no funding associated with this work. There was no external funding for this study. We thank everyone from \u2018Young Sonographers Bern\u2019 and \u2018Berner Institut f\u00FCr Hausarztmedizin\u2019 (BIHAM) who helped organising the ultrasound course. We also thank all the learners, near-peer and faculty tutors taking part in the study and in the pilot questionnaires or interviews.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Berner Institut für Hausarztmedizin |
Keywords
- Teaching methods
- medical education
- near-peer teaching
- ultrasound
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education