Preparing Medical Teachers for Small-Group Active Learning: A Design-based Research Study

Introduction: Small-group active learning methods can enhance student learning, but engaging students in these methods can be challenging for teachers. Therefore, Faculty Development Initiatives (FDIs) typically focus on medical teachers’ proficiency in active learning strategies, yet transferring these strategies to actual teaching practices remains problematic. To address this, we designed, implemented, and evaluated an FDI aimed at stimulating this transfer to support medical teachers in facilitating active learning. Methods: We conducted a Design-Based Research study with 34 new medical teachers in a small-group active learning course. The FDI combined Self-Directed Learning with on-the-job and off-the-job learning. Surveys and interviews were used in two separate iterations of the FDI to evaluate how transfer was stimulated. We adopted a pragmatic stance, applying inductive and deductive analysis methods. Results: Participants reported that the FDI stimulated transfer in three ways: 1) Autonomy in creating personal learning objectives and learning processes increased motivation to transfer, 2) Support from peers, supervisors, and students encouraged the adoption of new teaching strategies, 3) Integration of on-the-job experiences and off-the-job meetings fostered a continuous learning cycle of experiencing, reflecting, understanding, and applying. Discussion: Combining Self-Directed Learning with on-the-job and off-the-job learning within FDIs shows promise in stimulating the transfer of active learning strategies. This approach enables participants to progressively integrate such strategies into their teaching practices. While our findings provide valuable insights for FDI design, further research is needed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of this approach.