Crafting study tasks among medical students: the role of authentic medical teachers

Abstract

Abstract Background Though leadership has been highlighted as a salient skill for medical teachers in the medical education literature, the role of authentic leadership style among medical teachers in activating medical students’ learning behaviors has not been explored. Our study seeks to examine the effects of medical teachers’ authentic leadership on study task crafting behaviors among medical students. Methods Our study adopted a mixed-methods research design comprising observations of 100 surgical operations and 100 ward conferences led by medical teachers, and surveys on authentic leadership, study task crafting, and promotion focus. Structural equation modelling was utilized in the data analysis. Results Medical teachers’ authentic leadership demonstrated positive effects on the two study task crafting behaviors (seeking resources (B = 0.36, p 0.10). Promotion focus was found to strengthen such positive effects of authentic leadership on seeking resources (B = 0.23, p < 0.05) and seeking challenges (B = 0.18, p < 0.05). Illustrative excerpts of intraoperative and conference conversations are presented. Conclusions Our study provided empirical evidence that medical students guided by authentic teachers expressed increased levels of study task crafting, which were further increased if medical students were promotion-focused.

Keywords

• Medical teacher
• Authentic leadership
• Task crafting
• Promotion focus
• Vietnam