The role of senior teachers in students'' achievements

This study points out the significant role of senior teachers in the process of instruction. It also asserts the consistency and reliability of student assessments of instruction, and the correlation between these assessments and the students' achievement. The study was conducted on groups rather than individual students. The assumption was that when teaching is carried out in groups, it is preferable to relate to the evaluation expressed by the whole group, and its correlation with achievement. The data included 51 student groups studying in 15 departments affiliated with the medical school in 12 hospitals: paediatrics (3), psychiatry (5), gynaecology (4) and surgery (3). The results emphasize the role of senior teachers in the process of instruction. It was found that a high positive correlation exists between senior teachers' direct involvement in teaching and students' academic achievements. However, a low correlation was found between students' assessments of the overall departmental teaching and their academic achievements. Thus, it appears that achievement is not directly influenced by the quality of teaching as perceived by the students, but rather by other factors, with the exception of a positive correlation between the contributions of the department heads to instruction and students' achievement.     

基于创新思维和临床实践能力培养的医学遗传学教学改革与实践研究

目的 将TBL教学法和病例分析引入医学遗传学教学中,以提高医学生自主学习、临床思维、分析问题和解决问题的能力及临床实践技能.方法 以平凉医学高等专科学校2013和2014级临床检验专业的4个班为实验组,2013级临床医学专业的两个班为对照组.对照组仅用传统的教学方法,实验组则在传统教学的基础上,结合TBL教学法和病例分析,同时比较不同种教学方法的实施效果.结果 实验组学生能对所学知识进行横向联系、纵向渗透,使基础医学知识和临床医学知识有效整合,学习成绩显著,综合实力有所提高,取得了良好的教学效果.结论 TBL教学法结合病例分析,能充分调动学生学习的积极性和主观能动性,让学生成为学习的主体,集师生互动、同学互动和团队讨论、社会实践为一体,值得在医学基础教育中推广和应用.     

Learning more than expected: The influence of teachers' attitudes on children's learning outcomes

This study employed the concept of teachers’ sense of responsibility for students’ learning to examine the extent to which the gap in math learning growth is reduced and whether such attitudes can improve children's learning outcomes to a degree that is above and beyond their expected achievement relative to their initial academic skills. Analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Cohort revealed that children who experienced high levels of teachers’ sense of responsibility displayed higher achievement growth than did their under-prepared peers who did not receive this support. Furthermore, academically disadvantaged children who were exposed to a high level of teachers’ responsibility were more likely to show a transitional shift in their learning development at the end of the first grade. These findings have implications for understanding how the attitudes that teachers hold within the classroom may play a role in reducing the stratified learning outcomes engendered at an early age.     

Evaluation and consequences of teaching competence: Scandinavian developments

Provision of health care, research and teaching are three major activities common to all medical schools. In spite of the fact that most medical schools emphasize the importance of basic education in their programme, both teachers and students point out that in reality teaching ability and experience are of little significance when academic positions are filled. A common objection to attaching a higher value to teaching competence is that teaching skills cannot be systematically and reliably evaluated. However, experience throughout the world shows that there are various methods of evaluating and considering teaching ability. Activities initiated in Scandinavia highlight concrete methods of considering the qualitative aspects of teaching skills with the basic point of view that there are great similarities between the processes of evaluating scientific and teaching competence. In this article the results of a survey of medical schools in Scandinavia on the relative importance of scientific and teaching merit are reported. Subsequent developments are provided from a task force working under the auspices of the Nordic Federation for Medical Education as well as from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. Suggestions are included for evaluation of teaching skills, including qualitative and subjective considerations. Arguments for increasing the value accorded to such skills are advanced and discussed.     

Transitional kindergarten: an opportunity to explore the intersection between early childhood and kindergarten practice

Early childhood educators are concerned about a ‘shovedown’ of elementary school expectations, standards, and curriculum on to young children due to policy-makers’ moves towards utilising preschool programmes to address disparities in academic achievement. This study employs interviews and classroom observations to contrast the perspectives of two transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers – one a former preschool teacher and one a former kindergarten teacher – to understand how they adapted practices from both early childhood and elementary education to support their students’ development in TK. Key intersections include (1) developing both self-regulation and academic skills, (2) exposing students to kindergarten standards rather than teaching to mastery and (3) differentiating expectations to match children's development and interests. The study suggests that TK, operating in the hybrid space between preschool and kindergarten, has the potential to ‘push up’ child-centred practices of early childhood educators into primary grades.     

五年制医学专业生物化学PBL教学实践与初探

目的激发学生的学习兴趣与参与意识，培养高素质的医学人才。方法将学生分成若干小组，每小组10人，在1名教师指导下进行三段式PBL教学。结果学生由被动变为主动，学习的积极性提高了，综合分析问题和解决问题的能力、口头表达能力与交际能力提高了，同学之间的协作关系加强了。结论PBL教学比单纯灌输的教学效果要好。不过，进行PBL教学时要选好年级、选好班级、选好教师。     

Communication skills teaching, learning and assessment

This paper outlines an introductory course in teaching communication skills to medical students in a preclinical context. The aims of the course, its content and teaching methods are described. Novel features include the active participation of selected patients in teaching and assessment, and the use of a form of role-play named 'listening triads'. The main focus of the paper is assessment, and results are recorded, relating to a class of 114 second-year students during the academic session 1983-84. Assessment of the students' learning was measured by Modified Essay Question (MEQ); students' problems face-to-face with patients were identified by patients, students, and by staff members observing interactions. Problems of fitting these educational assessments into a traditional academic 'certifying' type of assessment remain unresolved at present. This course was found to be acceptable by the preclinical students, and their lack of clinical knowledge did not appear to interfere with their learning. They were enthusiastic about the supervised contact with patients, which appeared to contribute significantly to the way the course was received.     

The Critical Role of Working Memory in Academic Achievement

Far too many culinary arts educators are unaware of the critical role that working memory plays in student’s ability to perform cognitive and academic tasks, such as reading, note taking, and studying for tests (memorization). In this article, we provide research that suggests working memory may be uniquely responsible for the difficulties faced by culinary students in the kitchen and classroom. This literature review not only defines working memory but describes its functionality based on the work of key researchers in the field and gives practical recommendations to apply this knowledge in culinary arts education. The vital role that working memory plays in teaching and learning should give teachers great pause and make them re-examine their approach to instructional design to enhance the academic achievement potential of culinary students.     

The quality of medical teaching and learning in rural settings: the learner's perspective

Summary. During 1992–93, the authors produced a video-based teacher development resource kit for rural and isolated general practitioners and hospital medical personnel who are involved in medical teaching. As part of the development process, we surveyed 240 medical undergraduate students of the University of Queensland about their experiences and perceptions of teaching and learning in rural settings in Queensland. For approximately 90% of undergraduate learners, the experience with a rural medical practitioner was extremely positive. The major positive features identified by students were: being treated as a colleague; being allowed/encouraged to work independently; receiving feedback on their work; and being given ample 'hands-on' minor procedural experience and/or teaching. The 10% of students who reported unfavourably on their rural terms identified lack of opportunities to carry out solo consultations/work independently, lack of structure in teaching/learning experiences, and lack of hands-on experience as the major disappointments. The results demonstrate clearly how and why the majority of rural medical teachers in Queensland are effective facilitators of undergraduate learning.     

生物医学工程专业程序设计类课程信息化与案例化联合教学实践

目的:探索生物医学工程专业程序设计类课程信息化与案例化联合教学实践.方法:首先根据课程目标和学员特点对信息化手段进行筛选和创新设计,在辅助教学的同时,作为学员最直观的教学案例,引导课程知识点的学习;再以学员为中心通过"使用案例—学习案例—设计案例—完善案例(师生共同)"的闭环学习过程,反作用于信息化手段与教学案例的完善...     

Clinical skills assessment with standardized patients

Previous projects (Combell I & II) to assess clinical skills were conducted in medical schools in Catalonia, in order to introduce a model of such an assessment using standardized patients (SP). The aim of this study (Combell III) was to measure selected characteristics of our model. Seventy-three medical students in the final year at the Bellvitge teaching unit of the University of Barcelona participated in a clinical skills assessment (CSA) project that used 10 SP cases. The mean group scores for the four components of clinical skills for each day of testing were studied, and ratings for each student in the 10 sequential encounters were checked. The study also compared the clinical skills scores with their academic grades. The total case mean score (mean score of history-taking, physical examination and patient notes scores) was 51.9%, and the mean score for communication skills was 63.6%. The clinical skills scores over the 8 testing days showed no day-to-day differences. The study did not find differences among the sequential encounters for each student (training effect). There was a lack of correlation between clinical skill scores and academic grades. The project demonstrated the feasibility of the method for assessing clinical skills, confirmed its reliability, and showed that there is no correlation between scores with this method and academic examinations that mainly reflect knowledge.     

规范化带教在新生儿科实习带教中的应用方法及价值研究

目的分析和研究规范化带教在新生儿科实习带教中的应用方法及价值。方法选择2018年3月-2019年2月期间,在该科参与带教的医学生112人,随机划定为对照组与观察组,各56人,对照组医学生在入科后,即为其指派有着较强业务能力的专门带教教师,带教的具体事项以及考评均由该教师自行确定;观察组给与规范化带教。详细记录和统计两组医学生的基本知识考评得分、技能考评得分,以及医学生的带教满意率并进行对比。结果观察组的基本知识考评得分是(92.06±4.19)分、技能考评得分(87.09±6.01)分,都显著大于对照组;观察组带教满意率达到了92.86%(52/56),显著大于对照组69.64%(39/56),该两组的带教满意率对比,差异有统计学意义(t=8.527,P<0.05)。结论新生儿科规范化的模式能够弥补传统带教缺陷,能够大大增强医学生本身的技能,增强了其学习自觉性并能获得带教教师的普遍认可,提高教学积极性,并及时根据学生的需求,从而不断改进带教手段,突显了带教的有序性,使带教与以往相比变得更为系统化,值得临床推广。     

The quality of student-tutor interactions in the clinical learning environment

We surveyed 403 students in their clinical years for their perceptions of the quality of clinical clerkships. Between 42.6 and 67.0% of tutorials were said to contain positive factors such as a relaxed teaching atmosphere, enthusiasm, a good selection of patients and adequate preparation. Negative features in 18.2-37.2% of tutorials included unreasonable expectations, conflicting information, late arrival, early departure, failure to show up and the display of anger, a patronizing attitude, favouritism or ridicule. While two-thirds of tutors were regarded as friendly and helpful, the remaining one-third were perceived as unconcerned, discouraging, derogatory or hostile. Overall, only half the clinical tutors were rated as effective teachers; more specifically in medicine and psychiatry, less than one-third of consultants were regarded as effective teachers, as compared with some two-thirds of consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics who were so regarded. Almost two-thirds of the students had predominantly positive reactions to interactions with their tutors, in terms of being motivated to learn, enthused about the subject and having their self-confidence increased. Some one-quarter had negative reactions such as indifference, depression, anger, embarrassment and fearfulness. However, the impact of student-tutor interactions was mainly confined to the students' academic well-being, with little effect on their personal-social lives. Finally, one-third of students had experienced at least some form of mistreatment by their tutors, including gender, appearance, religious and racial discrimination, unfair grading and public humiliation. These findings suggest that the clinical clerkship may not be providing an optimal learning environment for medical students.     

Teaching skills improvement programmes in US internal medicine residencies†

Summary. The prevalence and nature of resident teaching skills improvement programmes (TSIP) are unknown. Although residents perceive themselves as important teachers of students, there is little information on how programme directors (PDs) view residents as teachers. A comprehensive questionnaire was sent to all 428 US internal medicine PDs in December 1990, of which 60% (n= 259 ) responded. Of the 259 responding programmes, only 20% (n= 51 ) had TSIPs. Characteristics of TSIPs were not uniform. Mean instructional time was 9 hours (range, 1–24 hours). The teacher most frequently utilized to develop and facilitate the TSIP was the PD. PDs from residencies with a TSIP indicated more strongly than PDs without a TSIP that residents contributed to students' learning. Fifty-one per cent of TSIPs required residents to attend. Evaluation/feedback as a teaching method was the most common topic covered in TSIPs. Long-term assessment of teaching skills after programme participation was done in 15% of TSIPs. Although PDs value the resident's role as teacher, current TSIPs in internal medicine residencies are few in number and lack standardization. PDs' attitudes probably influence whether residents are taught teaching skills and whether teaching skills are evaluated. Further investigation of appropiate curriculum for TSIPs and assessment of long-term effectiveness of TSIPs are needed.     

Exploring UK medical and social work students’ legal literacy: comparisons,contrasts and implications

To ensure acceptable practice standards both doctors and social workers should draw on relevant legal rules when reaching professional judgements concerning, for instance, children requiring protection, people with severe mental distress and adults at risk, information sharing, consent to intervention and service user involvement in their care and treatment. Many practitioners use the law to maintain high standards of professionalism. However, research has uncovered limited awareness of legal rules and poor standards of health and social care. Academic benchmarks and practice requirements for health and social care professions centrally position legal knowledge for secure decision‐making. Model curricula exist. However, the outcomes of the taught curriculum on students’ confidence in their legal knowledge and skills have been relatively overlooked. This article introduces the concept of legal literacy, a distillation of knowledge, understanding, skills and values that enables practitioners to connect relevant legal rules with their professional practice, to appreciate the roles and duties of other practitioners and to communicate effectively across organisational boundaries. It presents the outcomes for a 2006–2009 study of 1154 UK medical and 638 social work students of their law learning for practice, response rates of 46% and 68%. Significant differences were found between medical and social work students’ attitudes towards the law, and in their self‐ratings of legal knowledge and skills. Confidence levels were low and anxiety high, especially among medical students, although law teaching had some positive outcomes on knowledge and skill development. Social work and medical students associated different themes with the law, the latter especially foregrounding ethics, negligence and liability, which could affect inter‐professional working. Students are not fully prepared for legally literate practice, with a consequent need to review the time allocated for, and the content of law learning and the subsequent availability of continuing professional development.     

Gender and achievement in clinical medical students: a path analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Men and women interact differently with the learning environment. Women's standards and goals are responsive to social and environmental influences. Men seem relatively indifferent but check their performance against strongly internalized standards. The purpose of this study was to discover how these interactions determined achievement. METHODS: A longitudinal study examined students on their first clinical firms. Students' view of the learning environment was measured as their attribution style. Perceived self-efficacy, anxiety and fear of negative evaluation were also measured at the start of the course and again 3 months later. Path analysis was used to connect these measures to achievement assessed in tests of knowledge and skills after a further 3 months. RESULTS: Men and women showed significant differences. In both, a perception that bad events in the learning environment were persistent and pervasive appeared to be causal of high achievement in tests of knowledge. In men this was dominantly mediated through fear of negative evaluation and anxiety. In women the path appeared to be direct and associated with a sense of reduced self-efficacy. Men also showed two additional and opposing paths to achievement when good events were pervasive and persistent. For some, achievement was improved. Others experienced a reduction in anxiety and performed poorly. CONCLUSIONS: Achievement in men demands arousal. This is greatest in environments that provide frequent opportunities for comparison of their performance with their internal standards. Achievement in women seemed consequential on a re-evaluation of their sense of efficacy in adverse environments. Persisting with attempts to manage learning in a socially unresponsive environment can cause unproductive anxiety and poor performance.     

A model for clinical teaching and learning

Summary. A set of criteria to observe clinical teaching was developed and used to describe and evaluate the teaching behaviour of 24 tutors of medical students in their initial clinical skill term. The tutors had no previous instruction in teaching techniques, nor had their teaching been previously evaluated. The criteria used focus on six basic dimensions: the teaching/learning environment; the degree of intellectual challenge; the degree of interaction; the logical structure of teaching sessions; the quality of teaching skills; and the modelling of professional skills and attitudes. A continuum of teaching behaviour was observed in each dimension, with most tutors demonstrating adequate levels of performance in each. The tutors all strongly supported the evaluation and the feedback they received. Their subsequent teaching behaviour will be reviewed to assess the impact of this feedback.     

Education Secured? The School Performance of Adolescents in Secure Residential Youth Care

Background

Despite poor school performance by adolescents in secure residential care and the potential importance of education during care, little is known about how to achieve academic success with these adolescents.

Objective

Therefore, the aim of the present study is to assess adolescents’ academic achievement during secure residential care and to identify factors that are associated with adolescents’ achievement.

Methods

In the present study, we have included a sample of 53 adolescents in secure residential care using information from the individual care plans, the adolescents themselves, and their teachers.

Results

Contrary to our expectations, teachers report an average-to-good school performance for a majority of the adolescents (53.8 %). Partly consistent with our expectations, students with an average intelligence level, good academic motivation, and/or relatively few externalizing behavioral problems show significantly better academic achievement than students with a low intelligence level, poor academic motivation, and/or many externalizing problems. The results also suggest that low intelligence and poor motivation predict academic achievement, both directly and indirectly, through an increased risk for externalizing problems. Unexpectedly, we did not find significant associations between teachers’ interaction skills, student–teacher relationship quality, and adolescents’ academic achievement.

Conclusions

Considering our findings, future research should aim at interventions that focus on improving teachers’ ability to handle poor academic motivation and externalizing behavioral problems.     

What can clinical teachers learn from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?

Many clinical teachers acquire a working knowledge of the principles of teaching and learning through observation, by adopting positive and rejecting negative examples of clinical instruction. Well selected vignettes of teaching behaviours taken from contemporary film and literature may provide rich substrate by which to engage clinical teachers in discourse about instructional technique. This paper draws on J K Rowling's novel and its companion film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and critically analyses the teaching styles of the staff at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft in the context of contemporary generic and medical education literature. Specifically, it argues that effective teachers demonstrate not only an in-depth knowledge of their discipline but possess a keen appreciation of the cognitive changes that occur in their students during the learning process. They are, furthermore, proficient in core instructional skills such as small group facilitation, feedback and questioning. Most importantly, effective teachers model appropriate attitudes in their professional setting and possess highly developed personal qualities such as creativity, flexibility and enthusiasm.