How Teachers Meet in Interdisciplinary Teams: Hangouts, Distribution Centers, and Melting Pots

Abstract

Purpose To explore team learning processes among interdisciplinary teacher teams in the development of integrated health professions education and to investigate students’ perspectives on the quality of the educational courses. Method Using an exploratory, sequential mixed-methods design, the first author conducted 17 vignette-guided, semistructured interviews with teachers originating from diverse disciplines. These teachers worked in different courses of integrated, undergraduate health professions programs at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands. The interview guide and vignettes were based on team learning research. The interviews sought to establish how interdisciplinary teacher team members work together on integrated curricula. The vignettes reflected constructs of team learning processes: sharing, co-construction, and constructive conflict. Data were collected between November 2017 and March 2018 and analyzed using template analysis. Sequentially, course evaluation data were used to provide a descriptive analysis of students’ perspectives on educational quality (course organization, structure, learning effect, and alignment). Results Three team approaches were identified. In fragmented teams or “hangouts,” teachers individually worked on tasks that they were interested in, leaving their disciplinary mark. Framework-guided teams or “distribution centers” aimed to work within the given frameworks and organizational expectations, striving for disciplinary balance. Integrated teacher teams or “melting pots” used an interdisciplinary approach on all topics and put students at the center. Integrated teams reflected high-level team learning processes and were most satisfied with their (team)work. In contrast, fragmented and framework-guided teams mainly reflected low-level team learning processes. Students evaluated courses of integrated teacher teams highest on all investigated quality items (course organization, structure, learning effect, and alignment). Conclusions Successful interdisciplinary teacher teams are represented by an integrated approach with high-level team learning behavior and the best course evaluations. Therefore, health professions education management should actively encourage and facilitate integrated teacher teamwork.

Shaping a Culture for Continuous Quality Improvement in Undergraduate Medical Education

“… 37 Thorough discussions and cocreation sessions involving faculty from different backgrounds form a keystone to initiate collective improvement activities. 38 Additionally, CQI entails a role change from students as clients or consumers to active members of and contributors to the organizational culture.…”

Advancing quality culture in health professions education: experiences and perspectives of educational leaders

“…I.e. these conditions can be nurtured by stimulating co-creation, sharing responsibilities and decision making, and through the enhancement of psychological safety in teams by educational leaders (Meeuwissen et al 2019(Meeuwissen et al , 2020Koeslag-Kreunen et al 2018). Leaders of educational programmes often cannot influence the broader organisational HRM policies, but if leadership efforts and HRM practices are not fully aligned (e.g.…”

Working beyond disciplines in teacher teams: teachers’ revelations on enablers and inhibitors

“…The present study has offered insight into individual team members' perceptions of factors that enable or inhibit learning by teams with teachers from different disciplines. Factors were related to the individual, the team and the organisation: personal alignment with the prevailing educational philosophy, shared team leadership practices and involvement in the organisation were perceived as important enablers by teachers working with different team approaches (see Meeuwissen et al [21]). We therefore conclude that teachers, regardless of team functioning, have similar perceptions of interdisciplinary team learning.…”

“…All participants were University Teacher Qualification certified [31]. From earlier research we knew that the selected teachers were members of teams that worked in an integrated (11), framework-guided (4), and fragmented (2) manner, yielding higher and lower levels of team learning [21]. Consequently, a breadth of team types were represented in our sample, thereby offering richness of information.…”

“…Earlier team learning research in HPE has suggested that teams with members from different disciplines create their own patterns and habits [ 21 ]. While some operate in a fragmented or framework-guided way and merely share knowledge, performing as a scattered group of individuals [ 22 ], others function in a truly integrated manner, are committed to the whole course and reach constructive conflicts, resulting in better education [ 21 ]. It is not clear, however, why the latter teams show higher team learning levels.…”