A model for teaching in learner-centred clinical settings

Abstract

Teaching in a learner-centred clinical setting requires clinical teachers trained in diagnosing and addressing learner needs and interests in order to create an optimal learning environment. These educational skills may not have been explicitly addressed in medical training in the past, when little to no focus was devoted to the learning environment and promoting learner-centredness. Thus, clinical teachers may be left without a model for their important and nuanced role as facilitators of learning in the current environment. We propose that clinical teachers frame their educational approach through the lens of teachers’ perspectives. Not only does this model illustrate the factors that influence and modify clinical teachers’ mindset, but it also demonstrates the impact that teachers’ experiences may have upon creating the learning environment and determining educational outcomes. This model also identifies a feasible starting point for essential staff development: refining communication skills for use in the educational setting. With this training and model to frame understanding, clinical teachers may be better prepared to fulfill their essential role in the learner-centred educational clinical environment.

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Sternschein

Rebecca Sternschein, MD, is an Associate Physician in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Margaret M. Hayes

Margaret M. Hayes, MD, ATSF, is Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency at BIDMC, and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

Subha Ramani

Subha Ramani, MBBS, PhD, FAMEE, is Director, Program for Research, Innovations and Scholarship, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital; and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.