Who is a motivational teacher? Meanings for Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: Learning motivation is a complex process that involves aspects related to student, the teacher, the learning environment, the institutional curriculum and the social context in which learning oscurs. The mediation of teachers in the academic practices of medical students influences the process of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of students. Objectives: To understand the interaction between factors that influence the motivation of students in the learning experiences in the didactic meetings of clinical courses. Methods: Qualitative study under the interpretative framework of Symbolic Interactionism and analysis following the guidelines of Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews and observation of academic practices of clinical courses were conducted. Open coding was done, grouping of codes into categories and the paradigmatic matrix that relates the categories around the central phenomeno was built. Results: The teacher as a rol model emerges connected to the love of teaching, knowing what he teaches, knowing how to teach and empathically relationships with students and patients, favors motivation through a safe learning environment, in context of the faculty`s constructivist curriculum. Difficulties in personal interactions and in the organization of courses interfere with students motivation. Conclusions: The empathic relationships of the teacher with students and patients in the training practices that encourage the active participation of students favor a safe environment, motivation towards learning, self-regulation and the autonomy of the students.