Improving near‐peer teaching quality in anatomy by educating teaching assistants: An example from Sweden

Abstract

Peer-assisted learning has gained momentum in a variety of disciplines, including medical education. In Gothenburg, Sweden, medical students who have finished their compulsory anatomy courses have the option of working as teaching assistants (TAs). Teaching assistants provide small group teaching sessions as a complement to lectures given by faculty. Previously, TAs were left to handle the role as junior teachers by themselves, but since 2011, a continuation course in anatomy has been developed with the aim of providing the TAs better anatomy knowledge and guidance for teaching. The course was designed to comprise 7.5 ECTS credits (equivalent to 5 weeks of full-time studies), and today all TAs are required to take this course before undertaking their own teaching responsibilities. This study aims to compare course evaluations of TA teaching before and after the introduction of the anatomy continuation course, in order to understand how students perceived teaching performed by self-learned versus trained TAs. The results of this study demonstrate that there was a trend towards better teaching performed by trained TAs. The variability in rankings decreased significantly after the introduction of the continuation course. This was mainly due to an improvement among the TAs with the lowest levels of performance. In addition to comparing student rankings, TAs were interviewed regarding their experiences and perceptions within the continuation course. The course was generally positively regarded. The TAs described a sense of cohesion and appreciation since the institute invested in a course dedicated specifically for them. Anat Sci Educ 11: 403-409. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Organising near‐peer teaching programmes for clinical professionals

“…There is no universally accepted definition of what near‐peer teaching is: the concept has been variously described as ‘an approach where the teacher is at least one year senior to the learner’, ‘trainees teaching more junior trainee colleagues’, and ‘a form of teaching where students are instructed by other students’ . A comprehensive definition, however, is as follows: ‘people from similar social groupings who are not professional teachers helping each other to learn and learning themselves by teaching’ .…”

“…A strength of near‐peer teaching programmes is the recognition that being junior in a field can actually be an advantage when teaching others . Complex or nuanced material from recent examinations will be fresh in the mind of near‐peer teachers, who are well placed to disseminate it to junior colleagues using strategies that they have personally found to be effective.…”

“…Benefits are not limited to the learner. Teaching in near‐peer programmes encourages those working in clinical practice to refresh their own knowledge and keep up to date . Across the spectrum of health care roles, there is a growing expectation that professionals will engage in teaching and training others .…”

“…Disadvantages include concerns around the prior teaching experience of near‐peer teachers, which may be legitimate . Although it is important for near‐peer teachers to practise in order to improve, there must be a clear educational benefit for students.…”

“…Swedish researchers have investigated the effect on teaching quality of a structured course for near‐peer teachers . Students evaluated teaching quality with a numerical scale, and near‐peer teachers who had undertaken the course were interviewed.…”