Abstract
Purpose
The development of Educator Identity has a significant impact on well-being, motivation, productivity, and the quality of teaching. Previous research has shown that conflicting responsibilities and a challenging work environment could negatively affect the development of Clinical Educator Identity within an organization. However, there is a lack of research that identifies the factors affecting Clinical Educator Identity Formation and provides guidance on how organizations can support its development, maintenance, and advancement.
Methods
To examine the phenomenology of Professional Identity Development in experienced Senior Clinical Educators in Singaporean hospitals, the study utilized an exploratory qualitative approach. The data was collected from September 2021 to May 2022 through one-to-one interviews. Four investigators analyzed the data using constant comparative analysis to identify relevant themes.
Results
Eleven senior educators revealed that personal, relational, and organizational factors influenced the development of Clinical Educator Identity. The relational aspect was a vital enabler, while organizational culture was a strong barrier. The study also identified several ways in which organizations can support Educator Identity development.
Conclusion
The study findings provide insight into how organizations can support the development of Clinical Educator Identity. The results could aid organizations in understanding the areas where they can channel resources to support Clinical Educator Identity development.
Acknowledgements
The authors express their sincere gratitude to Professor Cees van der Vleuten, Professor Pim Teunissen, and Professor Yvonne Steinert for their invaluable feedback, which greatly contributed to the quality of this work. The authors also extend their appreciation to the SingHealth education team, comprising of Prof. Ong Thun How, Prof. Jason Chang, Prof. Derrick Aw, Prof. Melvin Chua, Dr. Andrew Ong, Dr. Warren Ong, Dr. Jansen Koh, Dr. Sally Ho, and Dr. Sandra Tan, for their invaluable support and assistance throughout the project. Lastly, the authors extend their heartfelt thanks to the participants for generously giving their time, effort, wisdom, and dedication, which helped make this study a success.
Ethical approval
Ethical approval was granted by the SingHealth Centralised Institutional Review Board Determination (CRIB) (IRB num 2021/2414).
Disclaimers
None.
Previous presentation
The present manuscript is a section of the Master thesis for MHPE (Maastricht), which the first author presented during the thesis defense session. The abstract was also accepted by the AMEE 2023 conference and was presented as a short communication.
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
Notes on contributors
Deanna Wai-Ching Lee
Dr. Deanna Wai-Ching Lee, MBBS, MRCP, MHPE, is an internist and medical educationalist. She has an interest in faculty development and is heavily involved in curriculum development and assessment for undergraduate students.
Choon Kiat Nigel Tan
Dr. Choon Kiat Nigel Tan, MBBS, FAMS, FRCP, MHPEd, is a neurologist and holds leadership positions in several academic centers in Singapore.
Kevin Tan
Dr. Kevin Tan, BMedSci, BMBS, MRCP, FAMS, MS-HPEd, is a neurologist and has published widely in the field of neurology and health professions education.
Xianguang Joel Yee
Dr. Xianguang Joel Yee, MBBS, MMed, MRCP, is an internist and heavily involved in clinical teaching.
Yasmin Jion
Dr. Yasmin Idu Jion, MBBS, MRCP, MMed, is a neurologist and is heavily involved in postgraduate neurology training.
Herma Roebertsen
Dr. Herma Roebertsen, PhD, is a senior lecturer and educational adviser at Maastricht University. Her interest is in Faculty Development and Problem-Based Learning.
Chaoyan Dong
Dr. Chaoyan Dong, PhD, AMEE Fellow, is a medical educator with experience in systematic reviews. Her expertise is in simulation and medical education research.