Evaluation in undergraduate medical education: Conceptualizing and validating a novel questionnaire for assessing the quality of bedside teaching

Abstract

Background: Evaluation is an integral part of curriculum development in medical education. Given the peculiarities of bedside teaching, specific evaluation tools for this instructional format are needed. Development of these tools should be informed by appropriate frameworks. The purpose of this study was to develop a specific evaluation tool for bedside teaching based on the Stanford Faculty Development Program’s clinical teaching framework.

Methods: Based on a literature review yielding 47 evaluation items, an 18-item questionnaire was compiled and subsequently completed by undergraduate medical students at two German universities. Reliability and validity were assessed in an exploratory full information item factor analysis (study one) and a confirmatory factor analysis as well as a measurement invariance analysis (study two).

Results: The exploratory analysis involving 824 students revealed a three-factor structure. Reliability estimates of the subscales were satisfactory (α = 0.71–0.84). The model yielded satisfactory fit indices in the confirmatory factor analysis involving 1043 students.

Discussion: The new questionnaire is short and yet based on a widely-used framework for clinical teaching. The analyses presented here indicate good reliability and validity of the instrument. Future research needs to investigate whether feedback generated from this tool helps to improve teaching quality and student learning outcome.

Disclosure statement

None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare.

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesminsterium für Bildung und Forschung), project title EAGLE, grant number 01PY13002A.

Notes on contributors

Katharina Dreiling, Msc, is an educational scientist at Göttingen University Medical Centre. Her current research is on teaching and learning with a focus on evaluation.

Diego Montano, PhD, is research associate at the Institute of Medical Psychology and Sociology at Göttingen University Medical Center. His major research areas include occupational health, social epidemiology, and applied statistics.

Herbert Poinstingl is research associate at the Institute of Medical Psychology and Sociology at Göttingen University Medical Center. Key areas in his research are psychological assessment and psychometrics.

Tjark Müller is a psychologist at University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf. His current research addresses evaluation and new media in higher education.

Sarah Schiekirka-Schwake is a psychologist at Göttingen University Medical Centre. She is primarily involved in higher education research with a specific focus on evaluation.

Sven Anders, MD, MME, works as a consultant in the Department of Legal Medicine at Hamburg University, co-ordinating the department’s teaching activities. Main research areas are forensic pathology, clinical forensic medicine, and medical education.

Nicole Von Steinbüchel, PhD, is professor for Medical Psychology and Sociology and director of the Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology in Göttingen. She is a clinical neuropsychologist and human biologist. Her research focuses on psychometric instrument development in various health contexts.

Tobias Raupach, MD, MME, is professor for medical education research and curriculum development at Göttingen University Medical Centre. He is also a clinical cardiologist. His current research focuses on test-enhanced learning, assessment formats and evaluation.