The role of a specific module for motivating medical educators towards self-directed learning in medical education: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

Medical education aims to provide individuals with the knowledge, skills, as well as attitudes necessary to become competent healthcare providers. Medicine is a rapidly evolving field with the doubling time of medical knowledge in 2020 estimated to be only 73 days.¹ Hence, medical education should instill in students a commitment to professional development promoting lifelong learning. This includes keeping up with new research, technologies and best practices throughout their careers. Physicians must be able to analyse complex medical problems, integrate information from diverse sources and make sound clinical judgements. Medical education emphasizes critical thinking skills and encourages students to approach medical issues systematically.^2–7

Self-directed learning (SDL) in medical education refers to an approach where learners take primary responsibility for their learning, including setting goals, choosing resources and evaluating their progress. This approach is becoming increasingly important due to the ever-expanding volume of medical knowledge and, therefore, the need for lifelong learning.^8–14 Promoting the ability to motivate and foster SDL amongst faculty in medical education, so that they can transfer this ability to their students, is essential for developing a culture of lifelong learning as well as enabling learners to become autonomous reflective practitioners.^7,11,15–21

Incorporating SDL into medical education requires a supportive learning environment, clear guidance from faculty members and opportunities for students to practice and refine their SDL skills. While it may require some initial adjustment, SDL can empower students to become independent, motivated and lifelong learners in the field of medicine.^7,8–12

Faculty development (FD) is a crucial aspect of ensuring the quality of healthcare professionals’ training. It involves programmes, workshops and other initiatives aimed at enhancing the teaching skills, curriculum development expertise and overall effectiveness of medical educators.^15–21 Teachers must be well- versed in the concept of SDL to play an important role in helping students develop the abilities necessary for SDL. Hence, by investing in FD directed towards implementing SDL amongst medical students, institutions can empower learners to become independent, lifelong learners who are well-equipped to succeed in their future medical careers. In light of this, ascertained how a specific module for this purpose might encourage medical educators to support SDL in the field of medical education.

METHODS

Our study was conducted at Burdwan Medical College, West Bengal, India, after obtaining institutional ethical clearance (BMC/IEC: 1_2024 dated: 1/2/2024) and informed consent of the participants. One month of mentor–learner web sessions on SDL using Google Group were arranged after obtaining administrative approval. Two faculty members conducted the sessions, one was a Professor from the department of Physiology and the other was the Principal of the institution. Learners were provided with guidelines and study materials by the moderators of the sessions. Purposive sampling was done for the inclusion of participants. Initially, it was planned to include only 28 to 30 members from the institution to facilitate intensive training and 2-way discussion, hence a poster was put up in the college group with a link to join the course. Thirty-three faculty members were registered within 3 days. Nine faculty members from other institutions who were previously posted in this institution in the department of Physiology contacted the facilitators of the course and requested to let them join the course. After taking administrative approval, they were also allowed to join (Table I). There were 42 participants in the study.

Planning and modifying the sessions were done over 2 months under constant supervision and guidance of the faculty members of the Medical Education Unit of the institution and the Institute of Health Professions Education. The module was validated by 5 faculty members who had wide exposure to medical education technology. A structured Delphi round was used to prepare the FD module.

RESULTS

Forty-two faculty members participated in the study and completed all tasks within the stipulated time. Wide representation from different departments highlights a collective recognition of the importance of the study’s theme, likely related to advancements in medical education or specific curriculum focuses, such as SDL. The engagement of faculty from multiple specialties encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, enhancing the learning experience for both educators and students. Moreover, the unique perspective of each department contributes to a richer discussion on the challenges and benefits associated with SDL and modern teaching methodologies. The completion of all tasks by participants underscores their commitment to professional development and a willingness to adapt to new educational frameworks. This proactive approach to embracing educational innovations within the medical curriculum aims to improve teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes. Ultimately, the involvement of these faculty members sets a positive precedent for future initiatives aimed at enhancing medical education practices. Analysis of the reflections of the participants is shown in Table IV.

DISCUSSION

There is an enormous increase in medical colleges in India. The availability of trained teachers is one of the greatest challenges that have made improvement in the quality of medical education in India difficult. The importance of FD in enhancing educational ability has gained considerable attention. Faculty members who participate in faculty development programmes (FDPs) learn more about their professional obligations. To support health professionals’ training in educational science and technology, including planning and research for education, the WHO helped the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, establish the National Teacher Training Centre, JIPMER, Puducherry, in 1975, the first centre of its kind.23

Medical education worldwide plays a major role in shaping the future of healthcare. Given how quickly the medical field is changing, it is critical to make sure that faculty members have the abilities and information needed to properly instruct the upcoming generation of physicians. FDPs serve as a cornerstone in enhancing the teaching capabilities, research acumen and professional development of medical educators. We implemented a FDP online on SDL in our institution.^15–23 Forty-two faculty members participated in the programme and received hands-on training along with peer support and facilitator input. The learners were satisfied with their learning experiences and motivated to implement SDL sessions in their departments. In the present FDP, participants acquired skills for developing SDL modules, assessment tools and techniques for motivating students to pursue SDL.

Previous studies confirm the usefulness of our approach. Alsagheer et al.²⁴ examined the effects of 4 active learning-based techniques on 3 undergraduate programmes in medicine and healthcare, with a focus on FD. The FDP was assessed using the first 3 levels of Kirkpatrick’s Model once it was put into practice. The faculty’s assessment of their training needs served as the foundation for the programme’s creation. The evaluation’s reaction, learning, behaviour and action results, which were based on the Kirkpatrick model, were instructive. The faculty response rate was 100%. According to Kirkpatrick First Level data, 91% of faculty members were generally satisfied with their development activities (p<0.05). Knowledge transmission and acquisition were guaranteed in the workplace.

Our study provided useful information regarding the effects of FDPs on faculty members from several perspectives. It provides credence to the positive impacts of the FDP on student satisfaction with active learning-based instruction, faculty performance and the effectiveness of their instruction. In the present study, programme evaluation was done using Kirkpatrick Level 1 due to time constraint and lack of longitudinal follow-up.

The work profile of a medical teacher is quite difficult since they are responsible for transforming a group of recently recruited medical hopefuls into qualified healthcare providers. Shrivastava et al.²⁵ determined the difficulties faculty members have when teaching medicine and to find how teachers felt medical education workshops helped to overcome these difficulties. Over 9 months, a mixed methods study was done amongst the faculty members of a tertiary teaching medical college and hospital located in Chingalpet district of Tamil Nadu. Using the universal sample method, an online semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to all faculty members for completion in the first phase.

Purposive sampling was used in the second phase, and focus group discussion (FGD) guides were used to interview all teachers who had attended any medical education workshop and had at least 3 years of teaching experience. While manual content analysis was used to examine the qualitative data, descriptive statistics were used to assess the quantitative data. 149 faculty members completed the online questionnaire during the quantitative phase; of them, the majority (52.3%) were female and 63.1% belonged to the clinical departments. Two themes were identified as a consequence of the FGD’s manual thematic content analysis (challenges and utility of workshops).

The theme of difficulties comprised three categories: Faculty, students and administration. On the other hand, the workshop’s utility theme featured two categories: Skill improvement and future proposals. The department’s lack of collaboration, the assignment of several tasks to one individual and the scarcity of clinical materials during Covid-19 were noted as the primary obstacles to teaching and learning. The introduction of innovations, enhancement of faculty performance and improvement of knowledge in a variety of teaching and evaluation areas are all made possible by the medical education workshops.

The relationship between professional performance and FDPs is heavily influenced by faculty motivation. Enhancing the quality of instruction, retention rates and institutional reputation requires an understanding of and commitment to supporting faculty motivation. Professional growth, acknowledgement, autonomy, teamwork, resources and a happy work atmosphere are all important components of FDP. In a study conducted by Iqbal et al.,²⁶ objectives were to determine the variables that can help organizations improve their educational offerings and outcomes. Over the course of a month, medical professors who took part in the FDP programme were the subjects of this cross-sectional descriptive survey. Consent was sought, and non-probability sampling was used to collect data. There were 140 faculty members in the target population. The information was gathered using online surveys. The multiple-dimensional questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha=0.893). The data analysis revealed that faculty members agree that FDPs have an immensely positive effect on the performance of faculty members. Responses varied somewhat, and a moderate degree of job satisfaction was indicated. The research highlights the significance of tackling differences in training viewpoints, enhancing job contentment and putting into practice efficient retention tactics. Employers can improve overall employee satisfaction and retention rates by concentrating on these areas. Enhancing teaching standards, competencies, emotional regulation and academic/administrative responsibilities were all considered advantages of FDPs. The results offer insightful information on the perceived advantages of FDPs in many areas of FD. In the present study also, the FDP which was conducted over a month increased the motivation of the learners. This module was conducted online and required no financial support. Hence, implementing such modules in government medical colleges, where there are financial and time constraints, may be an effective solution for FD.

According to a study done in 2024 by Sriraja et al.,²⁷ SDL is advantageous for medical undergraduates. By providing faculty members with adequate training on SDL implementation and helping students with time management and planning, SDL can play a significant role in enhancing the calibre of medical education and promoting lifelong learning amongst aspiring medical professionals. With a median score of 76, the majority of the learners in the study (61%) showed a high degree of SDL ability. While planning and execution were difficult for the students, they showed significant learning enthusiasm (mean score 4.11). The learners had strong interpersonal communication and self-monitoring abilities. The study demonstrated the importance of faculty training for the successful implementation of SDL. In our study, we trained faculty members in 1 month and they were satisfied with the learning experience and were motivated to implement SDL sessions in their department for the benefit of the learners. Based on the analyses of feedback from participants, 30 responses have highlighted the complexity of SDL and the need for facilitators to clarify doubts and acquire the necessary skills to effectively implement SDL in teaching practices. Workshops are our plans to provide hands-on training that would enable the development of effective SDL modules, especially since this module has not been administered to the students and evaluated for its effectiveness amongst the students.