Co-teaching: a faculty development strategy

Abstract

It has been stated that faculty development programmes which are closely linked to particular teaching contexts are most likely to be effective. Over the past 10 years we have developed a model of 'co-teaching' for faculty development which is based upon this premise and which can be applied to any clinical rotation. In this paper we describe our model, in which paired physicians focus on developing their teaching skills while sharing the clinical supervision of residents and medical students. Through iterative phases of teaching, debriefing and planning, co-teachers gain experience in analysing teaching encounters and develop skills in self-evaluation. Teaching occurs in the usual clinical settings such as attending (consultant) teaching rounds, clinic precepting, and case conferences. We discuss our model in the context of educational theory and related literature. We support our positive assessment of the co-teaching model through the precepts of collaborative inquiry and case study methodology. Vignettes, taken from the experiences of the authors, are used to demonstrate how the model is used to develop effective solutions to problems and to help in the maturation of one's skill as an educator. Successful implementation of the model is predicated on the development of a truly collaborative process between co-teachers. We share lessons we have learned from our experience of implementing the model in different clinical venues, such as the contrast between teaching on a hospital ward or in the clinic. This collaborative process has been well received by junior and senior faculty participants in our institution for more than a decade.

Proposal for a Collaborative Approach to Clinical Teaching

“…Our experience reveals that this approach enhances faculty development on clinical teaching for senior residents and faculty, which may be consistent with previous studies on curricula for "teaching the teachers." [35][36][37] We believe that practicing a collaborative approach, which emphasizes respectful teacher-learner relationships, will improve the quality of every clinical teaching encounter.…”

Trends in research on the tutor in problem-based learning: conclusions and implications for educational practice and research

“…In the future, more attention should be paid to faculty-development strategies in which tutors learn to reflect on their conceptions of the tutor role, on their conceptions about student learning and on their actual behaviour as tutors. Training should be offered to teachers in which they learn to reflect on and discuss their teaching ability, for example by means of co-teaching or peer coaching (Orlander et al, 2000). Faculty and policy makers should put more effort into developing faculty-development strategies that stimulate reflection on the tutor role.…”

Anatomy teaching assistants: Facilitating teaching skills for medical students through apprenticeship and mentoring

“…In a study exploring the development of medical teachers, McDougall and Drummond (2005) underline the complexity of the process within a curriculum that lacks formal training courses. They continue to emphasize the importance of the on-job learning experience through apprenticeship while others reaffirm the value of mentoring and its role in shaping the development of medical teachers (Elton 1998;Orlander et al 2000). Shiozawa et al (2010) further demonstrate the value of providing structured training for tutors in gross anatomy.…”