Curricular change and delivery promotes teacher development and engagement

Abstract

ABSTRACT Participation in curricular change and teacher professional development can be challenging for honorary clinical teachers, who juggle teaching alongside busy clinical practice. Following redevelopment of our traditional lecture programme, we conducted qualitative research, based on Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory, to explore honorary clinical teachers’ experience of transitioning to an active, student-centred approach. Semi-structured interviews focused on participants’ experience redeveloping preparatory material and face-to-face teaching, effectiveness of support, benefits and challenges of the new approach, and recommendations for further improvements. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed through thematic analysis. The emerging themes were: mentoring leading to change and confirmation of teacher beliefs; mentoring leading to change and confirmation of teacher practices; collaboration enabling teacher development; learning through interacting with students; impact of professional context; ongoing teacher development; tools enabling learning and development; and challenges. Implementation of an active approach to learning increased teachers’ enthusiasm for, and engagement in, teaching. There was an eagerness to further improve teaching and apply the approach to other settings. It was noted that despite challenges, teaching innovations grounded in educational theory and practice can be successfully introduced with honorary teachers. This can be enabled through a systematic approach providing appropriate staff development and support, and collaboration with colleagues.