![Sample our Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing & Allied Health journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5944/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Medicine-Dentistry-Nursing-Allied-Health.jpg"})
Abstract
Background: Academic institutions do not have a way to identify physician-teachers who are proficient in learner-centered teaching.
Aim: To identify physician characteristics associated with being highly learner-centered.
Methods: A cohort of 363 physicians was surveyed. Measured items included personal characteristics, professional characteristics, teaching activities, self-assessed teaching proficiencies and behaviors, and scholarly activities. A learner-centeredness scale was developed using factor analysis. Logistic regression models were used to determine which characteristics were independently associated with scoring highly on the learner-centeredness scale.
Results: Two hundred and ninety-nine physicians responded (82%) of whom 262 (88%) had taught medical learners in the prior 12 months. Six variables combined to form the learner-centeredness scale and the Cronbach Alpha of the scale was 0.73. The eight characteristics independently associated with high learner-centered scores for physician teachers were (i) proficiency in giving lectures or presentations (OR ;= ;5.1, 95% CI: 1.3–19.6), (ii) frequently helping learners identify resources to meet their own needs (OR ;= ;3.7, 95% CI: 1.3–10.3), (iii) proficiency in eliciting feedback from learners (OR ;= ;3.7, 95% CI: 1.7–8.5), (iv) frequently attempting to detect and discuss emotional responses of the learners (OR ;= ;2.9, 95% CI: 1.2–6.9), (v) frequently reflecting on the validity of feedback from the learners (OR ;= ;2.8, 95% CI: 1.1–7.4), (vi) frequently identifying available resources to meet the teacher's learning needs (OR ;= ;2.8, 95% CI: 1.1–7.2), (vii) having given an oral presentation related to education at a national/regional meeting (OR ;= ;2.6, 95% CI: 1.1–6.0), and (viii) frequently letting learners know how different situations affect the teacher (OR ;= ;2.5, 95% CI: 1.1–5.5).
Conclusions: The clinical competence and professional growth of medical learners can be most effectively facilitated by learner-centered educational methods. It may now be possible to identify medical educators who are more learner-centered in their teaching.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Elizabeth P. Menachery
DRS. MENACHERY, KNIGHT, HOWELL, and WRIGHT are all physicians in the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, MD.
Scott M. Wright
DRS. MENACHERY, KNIGHT, HOWELL, and WRIGHT are all physicians in the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, MD.
Eric E. Howell
DRS. MENACHERY, KNIGHT, HOWELL, and WRIGHT are all physicians in the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, MD.
Amy M. Knight
DRS. MENACHERY, KNIGHT, HOWELL, and WRIGHT are all physicians in the Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in Baltimore, MD.