Abstract
BackgroundTo understand teaching performance of individual faculty, the climate in which residents’ learning takes place, the learning climate, may be important. There is emerging evidence that specific climates do predict specific outcomes. Until now, the effect of learning climate on the performance of the individual faculty who actually do the teaching was unknown.ObjectivesThis study: (i) tested the hypothesis that a positive learning climate was associated with better teaching performance of individual faculty as evaluated by residents, and (ii) explored which dimensions of learning climate were associated with faculty’s teaching performance.Methods and MaterialsWe conducted two cross-sectional questionnaire surveys amongst residents from 45 residency training programs and multiple specialties in 17 hospitals in the Netherlands. Residents evaluated the teaching performance of individual faculty using the robust System for Evaluating Teaching Qualities (SETQ) and evaluated the learning climate of residency programs using the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT). The validated D-RECT questionnaire consisted of 11 subscales of learning climate. Main outcome measure was faculty’s overall teaching (SETQ) score. We used multivariable adjusted linear mixed models to estimate the separate associations of overall learning climate and each of its subscales with faculty’s teaching performance.ResultsIn total 451 residents completed 3569 SETQ evaluations of 502 faculty. Residents also evaluated the learning climate of 45 residency programs in 17 hospitals in the Netherlands. Overall learning climate was positively associated with faculty’s teaching performance (regression coefficient 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.37 to 0.71; P<0.001). Three out of 11 learning climate subscales were substantially associated with better teaching performance: ‘coaching and assessment’, ‘work is adapted to residents’ competence’, and ‘formal education’.ConclusionsIndividual faculty’s teaching performance evaluations are positively affected by better learning climate of residency programs.
Highlights
The teaching performance of faculty is essential in delivering both high quality residency training and patient care
Residents evaluated the teaching performance of individual faculty using the robust System for Evaluating Teaching Qualities (SETQ) and evaluated the learning climate of residency programs using the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT)
Three out of 11 learning climate subscales were substantially associated with better teaching performance: ‘coaching and assessment’, ‘work is adapted to residents’ competence’, and ‘formal education’
Summary
The teaching performance of faculty is essential in delivering both high quality residency training and patient care. The specific climate constructs differ from the umbrella construct in that they examine a more narrow manifestation of the work environment than the molar climate constructs do [4] This allows researchers to focus on more specific research goals such as measuring a patient safety climate to predict physicians’ safe behaviors. Much of the literature indicates that the significance of the environment for medical teachers is not always appreciated [11] This is surprising because faculty, like medical trainees, inhabit and experience the learning climate and are affected by the learning environment. We assume that the learning climate impacts on important individual level outcomes, in this case faculty’s teaching performance. To understand teaching performance of individual faculty, the climate in which residents’ learning takes place, the learning climate, may be important. The effect of learning climate on the performance of the individual faculty who do the teaching was unknown
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