Educators’ consideration of learner motivation in ophthalmology education in medical school: Influences on teaching practice and course design

Abstract

Background

Ophthalmology education in medical school has historically neglected the impact of autonomous motivation on student learning and wellbeing. This study aimed to understand ophthalmology educators’ consideration and application of student motivation in ophthalmology medical education.

Material and methods

Lead ophthalmology educators from Australian and New Zealand medical schools participated in an online semi-structured in-depth interview. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Codes were generated and aligned into overarching themes.

Findings

Six educators participated in the study. Five main themes arose from the transcripts: the lack of explicit consideration of student motivation, implicit consideration of motivation in curriculum design and in teaching practices, the impact of innovation on motivation and the relationship between teacher and student motivation. Participants also commented on trends in ophthalmology education including generalists’ confidence in managing ophthalmic disease, the role of fundoscopy in medical education and time pressure on ophthalmology in medical schools.

Conclusion

There has only been an implicit instead of explicit consideration of motivation in ophthalmology education in medical school, which leaves an unfulfilled potential for teaching practices to impact the affective along with cognitive and metacognitive aspects of learning. This study highlights the need for motivation to be explicitly incorporated into the development of teaching practices and curriculum reform.

Keywords:

• Medical education
• motivation
• ophthalmology
• self-determination theory
• curriculum design

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the students who participated in this study and shared their experiences with us.

Ethics statement

This study was approved by the Human Ethics and Research (HERC) committee of University of Western Australia with consideration of participant confidentiality managed.

Authors’ contributions

All authors have given their approval to submit this manuscript. Dr Deepaysh D.C.S. Dutt has been the main researcher in study design and data collection, analysis, interpretation, as well as writing of this manuscript. Dr Tabitha M. Scott, A/Prof Constantinos Petsoglou and Prof John Grigg contributed to the study design, data collection tool and drafting of the manuscript. Prof Sandra E. Carr and A/Prof Hessom Razavi contributed to the design, analysis, writing and review of each draft of this manuscript. All authors were involved in critically revising the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Deepaysh D. C. S. Dutt

Deepaysh D. C. S. Dutt, BSc, MD is a junior medical officer completing his Master of Health Professions Education at The University of Western Australia.

Sandra E. Carr

Sandra E. Carr, BSc, MPH, PhD, SFHEA, is Head, Discipline of Health Professions Education at The University of Western Australia.

Tabitha M. Scott

Tabitha M. Scott, BKin, MD, MMed(Ophth Sci), is a doctor, and completed her Master of Medicine in Ophthalmic Science at the University of Sydney with a focus on medical student education.

Constantinos Petsoglou

Constantinos Petsoglou, MBBS, MMed(Clin Epi), FRANZCO, is a consultant Ophthalmologist working as a Cornea Specialist at Sydney Eye Hospital. He is a senior lecturer in clinical ophthalmology at the University of Sydney and deputy director of NSW Tissue Banks.

John Grigg

John Grigg, MBBS, MD, FRANZCO, FRACS is Head of the Discipline of Ophthalmology at The University of Sydney’s Save Sight Institute. He also consults at Sydney Eye Hospital and The Children’s Hospital Westmead.

Hessom Razavi

Hessom Razavi, MBBS, BSc, MSc (Hons), FRCOphth, FRANZCO is an ophthalmic consultant at the Lions Eye Institute and the coordinator for ophthalmology teaching at The University of Western Australia.