Promoting active learning in medical education using the peer teaching model: perceptions of senior medical students

Abstract

This study aimed at describing how well the goals of a peer teaching initiative implemented over a two-year period were achieved at a South African medical school from the students' perspective. We conducted a mixed method study to elicit the perspectives of 5th year medical students who had recently completed a course that involved peer teaching during the 2016 academic year. Participants were purposefully sampled, and data were collected through focus group discussion (FGD) for the qualitative phase, and semi-structured questionnaires for the quantitative phase of the study. The FGDs were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed thematically, using an inductive approach to identify the emerging themes. The quantitative data obtained from the semi-structured questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive analysis, and the results presented in percentages and frequencies. A total of twenty-seven respondents took part in three FGDs, each group comprised nine participants. The number of completed semi-structured questionnaires were sixty-six. Three major themes emerged from the results namely, being a peer teacher, being a peer learner, and students' recommendations. The results showed that the implementation of peer teaching exercise motivated active learning among the students who 'taught' their peers, firstly, through their preparation for the peer teaching activity and secondly through the actual teaching itself. However, this kind of motivation was not reported by the participants who were not opportune to 'teach' during the exercise. The implementation of peer teaching model is effective in promoting active learning among medical students. Further research is needed to refine the strategies adopted and to identify alternative activities other than "teaching" during peer teaching exercise.

Percepción de los estudiantes de enfermería sobre los ayudantes de cátedra en prácticas simuladas

“…Al respecto, Sukrajh V, Adefolalu A y Louw A en su estudio cualitativo recogen la vivencia de estudiantes que han trabajado con sus pares como tutores y se menciona que esta estrategia estimula de forma activa el aprendizaje con múltiples beneficios, los que constituyen hallazgos equiparables a los encontrados 30 .…”

Assessing the Efficacy of Peer Teaching as an Alternative to Teaching Practice: A Case of Molepolole College of Education

“…Peer teaching is one of the instructional strategies used to promote constructivist practices; learners are pro-active participants in the learning process (Sukrajh et al, 2021). It is a common teacher professional development technique used to introduce teacher trainees to the practical aspects of teaching prior to actual teaching practice; peers engage in purposeful and meaningful instruction of each other (Manchishi & Mwanza, 2016;Stigmar, 2016).…”

“…It is a common teacher professional development technique used to introduce teacher trainees to the practical aspects of teaching prior to actual teaching practice; peers engage in purposeful and meaningful instruction of each other (Manchishi & Mwanza, 2016;Stigmar, 2016). During peer teaching, actively learn through preparation for peer teaching activities and through the actual teaching itself (Sukrajh et al, 2021). The activity involves administration of shorter lessons to small groups of learners followed by reflections on lessons (Adu-Yeboah & Kwaah, 2018;Manchishi & Mwanza, 2016;Voinohovska & Goravona, 2017).…”