Advances in Medical Education and Practice (Sep 2019)

Perceptions On Reciprocal Peer Teaching Among Medical Students As Learners And As Tutors

  • AlShareef SM,
  • Aldayel AY,
  • Alghamdi HM,
  • Alosaimi MB,
  • Alharbi MM,
  • Aldayel AA,
  • Alhussain HA

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 10
pp. 817 – 827

Abstract

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Saad Mohammed AlShareef, Abdulrahman Yousef Aldayel, Hamid Mohammed Alghamdi, Mohammed Buraik Alosaimi, Muteb Mousa Alharbi, Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Aldayel, Hamad Abdulaziz Alhussain Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Saad Mohammed AlShareefDepartment of Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), PO Box 7544, Riyadh 13317-4233, Saudi ArabiaEmail [email protected]: The College of Medicine at Imam University has incorporated reciprocal peer-teaching into the curriculum in the form of peer-led seminars. The aim was to evaluate this program and ascertain student perceptions.Methods: A cross-sectional survey of medical students attached to the Internal Medicine I and II courses was conducted in 2018. The questionnaire evaluated perceptions about the peer-teaching program, tutors’ knowledge, skills and attitudes, both from a student and a tutor perspective.Results: Based on a 63% response rate from a total of 410 students, 34.5% of learners agreed that peer-tutoring was the most effective method of clinical teaching and 30.3% disagreed. More students reported that peer-led seminars did not prepare them for their exams (38.4%) compared to those who reported it did (27.9%). More than 40% of participants reported the tutors were approachable, created a welcoming learning environment and provided targeted information. From a tutor perspective, more than 70% of participants reported that they developed personally and professionally, improved their collaborative, communication, tutoring and presentation skills and confidence. Female students reported they benefited more as tutors compared to male students.Conclusion: Students regard obligatory reciprocal peer-teaching in the form of peer-led seminars as similar to faculty teaching and an overwhelming majority report that they benefit both personally and professionally from leading seminars. As doctors are expected to teach and train younger generations, medical schools should prepare all students for such roles. A system that provides an opportunity for every student to become a peer-teacher can fulfil this need.Keywords: curriculum, peer group, students, medical, teaching methods, undergraduate medical education

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