Faculty Development Program Research Articles

Addressing Artificial Intelligence Anxiety in Higher Education with Positive Framing

This article illustrates how Appreciative Inquiry can respond to crisis narratives about the future of higher education in the age of generative AI. The first centers on the use of positive framing in discussions of the value of human tutors in an AI world. The second describes the Simultaneity principle’s role in redirecting faculty’s attention to core intellectual values in AI-focused faculty development programs.

Assessment of the competency of learner-centered teaching of clinical preceptor using the augmented Stanford Faculty Development Program Questionnaire (SFDPQ): a cross sectional comparative study

BackgroundEducation is an important part of the work of most doctors. Clinical preceptors act as role models and supervisors. Preceptors’ quality of supervision strongly influences the learning quality of clinical interns (Bartlett et al. BMC Med Educ 20:165, 2020). To ensure a consistent approach to every preceptorship experience, the competency of clinical preceptors should be assessed to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved. This study aims to evaluate clinical preceptors’ competency in learner-centered teaching, to provide constructive feedback to develop the preceptors’ competency and improve supervisory skills and internship quality at Kunming Medical University (KMU) in Kunming of China.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative self-administered online questionnaire. The convenience sampling technique was employed. In the undergraduate internship stage of KMU, clinical preceptors (N = 340) and interns (N = 487) were invited to use the augmented Stanford Faculty Development Program questionnaire (SFDPQ) (Stalmeijer et al. Med Teach 30:e272–e277, 2008), to (self-) assess the preceptor’s competency of learner-centered teaching on a five-point scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree).ResultsTwo hundred twenty-eight preceptors and two hundred thirty-six interns completed the questionnaire correctly. Overall, the assessment was positive, but the preceptors’ self-assessment significantly higher than the interns’ (p < 0.00). The overall mean of each category of preceptors’ self-assessment was greater than 4.5, with no difference based on educational qualification. Male preceptors scored significantly higher in two categories than female preceptors. Preceptors under 30 years of age with less than 5 years of teaching experience rated “Teacher’s knowledge and attitude” lower than those over 40 years of age with more than 5 years of experience (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the four categories across disciplines (p < 0.05). Undergraduate interns rated “Teachers’ knowledge” as the highest category and “Learning climate” as the lowest, and interns of different genders are evaluated without distinction in all categories of SFDPQ.ConclusionsEmploying the augmented SFDPQ to evaluate learner-centered teaching competency of clinical preceptors, offers potentially useful information for delivering constructive feedback. Combining self-evaluations with learner evaluation data can contribute to exploring preceptor competency development framework to guide them in targeted learner-centered teaching skill and acquisition and improvement, finally improving the overall quality of internships.

Faculty Behaviors and Beliefs About Teaching Gun Violence Prevention in Undergraduate Nursing Programs.

Gun violence is a public health crisis, but nurses report receiving little education related to gun violence prevention (GVP). This study aimed to describe undergraduate nursing faculty teaching behaviors and perceptions related to GVP and explore factors associated with teaching it. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Less than one-third of faculty taught GVP. Knowledge, confidence, and beliefs were significantly associated with teaching GVP. Most were favorable to include GVP in curricula and agreed assessing for gun access, counseling about safe gun storage, and counseling about lethal means restriction should be taught. Key barriers included content saturation, political atmosphere, lack of educational materials, and lack of topic expertise. Faculty agree that GVP should be taught, but most do not teach it in undergraduate nursing programs. Faculty development programs focused on GVP and support from national nursing organizations may decrease barriers in incorporating GVP into curricula.

Development and Implementation of a Hospitalist Faculty Development Program in a University- and Community-Based Multihospital System.

Robust faculty development (FD) is an emerging area of focus within hospital medicine, a relatively new specialty with limited mentorship infrastructure to find and develop a professional niche. There are few descriptions in the literature of establishing and evaluating an FD program with strategies to evaluate success, invite collaboration, and achieve feasible, useful metrics. We created our University Division of Hospital Medicine's FD Program to help community and academic hospitalist faculty fulfill professional goals in (and beyond) quality improvement, leadership, education, and clinical skills. We describe program development, initial implementation, and early evaluation results. We outline program roles and offerings such as professional development awards, lectures, and mentorship structures. Our program was successfully implemented, measured by engagement and participation via preliminary indicators suggesting programmatic effectiveness: faculty who applied for (and continued participation in) mentorship and faculty development awards and faculty who attended our lecture series. Since program implementation, faculty retention has increased, and percentages of faculty reporting they were likely to remain were stable, even during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Scholarly production increased and the number of division associate professors/professors grew from 2 in 2015 to 19 in 2024. Our experience can guide institutions seeking to support and encourage faculty professional development. Lessons learned include the importance of needs assessment and leadership commitment to meeting identified needs; how a steering committee can amplify the effectiveness and relevance of FD efforts; and the utility of multiple recognition strategies-quarterly newsletters, monthly clinical recognition, mentions on social media-to support and encourage faculty.

Faculty development: Need assessment survey in a newly established Medical College of Lahore.

Objective: To assess the needs of faculty regarding teaching, assessment and research methods so as to develop a program in a newly established medical college of Lahore. Study Design: Descriptive Cross-sectional study. Setting: Rashid Latif Khan University (RLKU) Medical and Dental College, Lahore. Period: July–December 2023. Methods: Descriptive study was conducted in RLKU Medical College within six months. Structured self- administered questionnaires were used for data collection via Google forms. A total of 50 faculty members gave data after verbal consent. IRB approvals were taken. Data was analysed using Excel. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Results: Majority faculty members (88%) preferred student cantered teaching approach with the usage (94%) of different methodologies in small group teaching. Feedback was being taken regarding teaching and assessment by majority (90%). Workshops on teaching methodologies was the area of interest especially small group teaching (62%), peer assisted learning (54%), problem based learning (54%) and large group teaching (52%). Most of them expressed need of workshops on assessment especially assessment types (60%), MCQ (56%), OSPE/OSCE (54%) construction. Faculty was of the opinion that workshops on mentoring (72%), reflection (56%), portfolio development (64%), research methodology (76%), computer skills (70%), ethics (60%) and soft skills (82%) need to be conducted. Conclusion: Workshops on teaching methodologies and assessments are essential our study concludes that although most of the faculty is trained but they still feel the need for workshops to keep them updated and trained in major aspects of curriculum delivery as well as research, mentoring, computer and soft skills highlighting the need of a robust faculty development program.

Evaluating the Impact of Faculty Development Programs in Generating Self-Efficacy and Competency Among Medical Teachers in India.

Background Maintaining the quality of teaching across India is a challenge. Teachers are equally responsible for patient care and administration. The importance of training medical teachers under the various faculty development programs (FDPs) is well accepted. A mechanism to evaluate the competencies acquired by medical teachers after attending FDPs becomes equally important. In the present study, we evaluate the impact of the various FDPs on medical teachers. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted for one year among 50 medical teachers attending FDPs. Ethical clearance was taken from the Institutional Ethical Committee.For quantitative data collection, the questionnaire was validated by the Scientific Approval Committee of the Institute. The study questionnaire was filled in by the participants just before and three months after attending FDPs. For qualitative data collection, in-depth Interviews (IDIs) using the Kirkpatrick model of learning evaluation were conducted. Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. The thematic areas of self-efficacy and teaching competency before and after FDPs were tested using the chi-square test. P-values <0.05 were considered significant. Results There was a significant increase in self-efficacy (300 vs. 426,p= <0.0001) and teaching competency (456 vs. 608, p = <0.0001) in the domains of teaching difficult students and motivating students for innovative projects. Improvement in communication skills and ability to engage the students were noteworthy in teaching competency. IDIs revealed that FDPs are essential for the efficient delivery of the competency-based medical curriculum. Conclusions FDPs play a key role in bringing about significant improvement in generating self-efficacy and teaching competencies among medical teachers. FDPs may beincorporated into the postgraduate medical curriculum itself.

The effectiveness of faculty development programs for training university professors in the health area: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SummaryBackgroundThe growing discussion on teacher development focuses on diversified educational skills that promote knowledge and innovation in the teaching, learning and assessment process. With the Covid-19 scenario, this picture of necessary changes has become more evident, demonstrating the need for professional preparation to work in teacher development. The aim of the study was to analyze the effectiveness of teacher development programs for the training of university teachers in the health area, through a systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsThe systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and involved searching five databases - PubMed-Medline, Education Resource Information Center (ERIC), SCOPUS, Embase and Web of Science. The review included randomized clinical trials and cohort studies that addressed the effectiveness of teaching professionalization in the health area for university professors. The quality of the selected studies was assessed based on the evaluation criteria of the Joanna Briggs Institute tool. The random effects meta-analysis method was used to explain the distribution of effects between the studies, using Stata® software (version 11.0) and publication bias was examined by visual inspection of the graphs and Egger's test.ResultsWe included 12 studies in the systematic review and 8 in the meta-analysis. These studies were published between 1984 and 2022 in 14 countries. Significant changes were reported in teachers' behavior to stimulate and encourage students, improvement in the quality of teaching and teaching staff, as well as improvement in skills such as leadership and self-evaluation. Furthermore, the result of the meta-analysis showed that there is evidence of the effectiveness of the positive effects of teacher development programs after their implementation, with this effect being 1.70% and an increase of 4.75 in the effect of these teacher development programs.ConclusionOur study shows that development programs have been implemented in different countries and contexts, all of which have proven to be effective in the short, medium and long term. We recommend that future research focus specifically on the different competencies that have been acquired following the implementation of these programs.

Teachers Views on Teachers Evaluation in Medical Colleges of Bangladesh

Teacher evaluation (TE) is systematic, periodic evaluation of a teacher with respect to his/her performance on job and his/her potential for development. This descriptive type of cross sectional study was conducted from July/22 to June/23 at four governments and four non-govemment medical colleges selected conveniently, to explore the views of the teachers regarding TE, sources of TE, merits and demerits of different sources, challenges and suggestion to overcome challenges to implement TE in medical colleges of Bangladesh. A total of 227 conveniently selected medical teachers were enrolled. Data were collected through a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire from teachers. Study revealed that majority of the teachers (89.4%) were in favor of TE, around 52% teachers agreed TE may be done once in a year. Areas to be evaluated are teacher’s teaching performance and depth of knowledge with a number of other areas. Sources of information, in order of preferences are student, trained evaluator, senior teacher, self and peer. Challenges of TE are training of the evaluator (86%), motivation of the teachers (82%), creation of unhealthy competition among the teachers (63%) etc. Study suggested for collaboration between medical educationist, teachers and policymakers (84%); inclusion of TE in faculty development program (83%), formulation of a legal frame (81%), introduction of a standard evaluation tool by DGME (82%) and may be started initially as a pilot program (80%). Study concluded and recommended that TE should be initiated and may be once a year. Areas to be evaluated are teaching skill, class room performance, depth of knowledge, unbiased assessment, research work, publication and other parameters. Sources may students, trained evaluator, senior teachers, self and peer. Proper guidelines should be developed for TE by the respective authority. Standard evaluation tools should be developed and TE may be linked with faculty development program. CME J 2024; 3(2); 20-30

Understanding the capacity development of faculty development programs: a sequential explanatory mixed methods study

BackgroundFaculty development programs can bring about both individual and organizational capacity development by enhancing individuals’ attitudes, values, and skillsto enable them to implement organizational change. Understanding how faculty development programs produce capacity development, and the influencing factors, requires further understanding. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of the participants of a faculty development program about the capacity development features of the program and the influencing factors.MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used. Faculty members were surveyed about their perspectives on capacity development of faculty development. Subsequently, 22 interviews were conducted with the respondents to deepem understanding of the survey results. Interview transcripts underwent conventional content analysis.ResultsA total of 203 completed the questionnaire. Most of the faculty highly agreed that the faculty development programs had produced capacity development. The combined data identified (a) “quality of faculty development programs”, underscoring the significance of robust and comprehensive initiatives, (b) “development in instruction”, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement in pedagogical approaches (c) “development in professionalism”, highlighting the necessity for cultivating a culture of professionalism among faculty members, (d) “development in attitude towards education”, emphasizing the role of mindset in fostering effective teaching practices, and (e) “supporting faculty development programs”, with fostering organizational growth and innovation. Important barriers and facilitators of the capacity development process included several organizational, interpersonal, and individual factors.ConclusionThe study identified specific features of the capacity development process in the context of a faculty development program and highlighted the importance of these programs in producing changes in both individuals and within the wider organizational system. Several factors that enabled and constrained the capacity development process were also identified. The findings of the study can inform future implementation of faculty development programs for capacity development.

Digital faculty fellows: A cross‐disciplinary professional development model

AbstractThis chapter describes a pedagogy‐first summer faculty development program designed to support faculty who want to add digital components to a course or academic program.

Measuring the impact of faculty development programmes on business schools’ performance in Pakistan

Developing quality higher education is essential to increase the prosperity of a country. This research examined the impact of Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) on business schools’ performances in Pakistan, facilitated by the Training and Development Wing of the National Business Education Accreditation Council. Informed by Kirkpatrick’s model, using a mixed methods approach, the perspectives of business school faculty staff were sought on the impact of these programmes in their respective business schools. Data gathered at four points, aligned to the four levels of Kirkpatrick’s model, identified the effectiveness and the positive impact of FDPs as capacity building initiatives in business schools over time, leading to their success in obtaining accreditation.

Employing students’ evaluations and tutors’ perceptions to evaluate a faculty development program on problem-based learning at the Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University

BackgroundFaculty development programs are crucial for promoting continuous learning, enhancing teaching effectiveness, and encouraging professional growth among medical educators. Problem-based learning was introduced as a teaching strategy in our Faculty of Medicine in 2007. Thereafter, several rounds of a faculty development program were conducted to help teachers recognize their role as facilitators and assess areas for improvement.MethodsWe conducted a mixed-methods study with a sample of 284 third-year medical students answering a questionnaire and 21 faculty members participating in focus groups. A validated 13-item questionnaire was used to investigate the students’ evaluation of their tutors’ performance in problem-based learning. Three sessions were then conducted with faculty members involved in problem-based learning to gain in-depth insights into their experiences and perspectives.ResultsThe mean performance ranking for tutors awarded by the students was above halfway. There was a significant positive correlation between tutors’ performance ranking and all five of the learning approaches examined herein: constructive/active learning, self-directed learning, contextual learning, collaborative learning, and intra-personal behavior (p < 0.05). The data from the focus groups were analyzed under five broad themes: tutors’ insights into their strengths and weaknesses, challenges in conducting problem-based learning, tutors’ ways of preparing for problem-based learning, feedback, and suggestions for improving problem-based learning workshops.ConclusionsThis study recommends improvements and future directions for advanced program evaluation. Faculty development programs can be tailored to effectively address students and faculty members’ goals and needs, which can benefit the teaching and learning process and foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.

Exploring the Collaboration Skills among Architecture Students: A Quantitative Study in North Cyprus

This research investigates the collaboration competencies among architecture students at Eastern Mediterranean University, in North Cyprus, highlighting the necessity for curricular enhancements to foster teamwork skills essential for professional practice. A structured questionnaire was administered to 77 final-year students, evaluating their knowledge, abilities, and experiences in collaborative settings. Factor analysis revealed twelve key components of collaboration, indicating moderate skill levels overall. Notably, students excelled in work quality, self-reflection, and time management yet exhibited deficiencies in team learning, role adaptability, and equitable idea contribution. This study identified five critical dimensions of teamwork: interpersonal facilitation, collaborative leadership, engagement contribution, active listening, and transparent information exchange. A strong correlation emerged between students’ perceived readiness for collaborative work and their self-rated leadership and interpersonal skills. Comparative analysis showed distinct collaboration skill sets between international and domestic students and across different academic years. These insights emphasize the imperative for architectural education to progressively incorporate specific learning activities and interventions to cultivate teamwork competencies systematically. The development of such skills is vital for preparing graduates to effectively navigate and lead within the multidisciplinary contexts they will face. Recommendations include curriculum redesign to integrate explicit teamwork instruction, faculty development programs, and fostering an educational culture that consistently values collaboration. Future studies should investigate effective pedagogical strategies for nurturing collaboration skills and examine how individual variances affect the acquisition of these critical abilities.

Perceptions of Communities of Practice and Sense of Belonging: Focus Groups of Academic Pediatric Faculty.

Providing the opportunity for collaboration around a central purpose to improve skills and exchange knowledge, the Community of Practice model can be useful for faculty development. A sense of belonging enhances the engagement in communities. Yet, the barriers and contributors to academic medicine faculty's sense of belonging in communities are not as well explored. Through focus groups with 21 academic pediatric faculty conducted between January and March 2023, this qualitative study examined knowledge of Communities of Practice and the factors that affect sense of belonging and engagement. The authors iteratively coded transcripts to generate themes. Community accessibility; opportunities for active engagement; working under a clear, shared purpose; and personal interactions enhanced faculty sense of belonging. Barriers to engagement included competing demands, process challenges, and uncertainty. Study results suggest strategies for the promotion of faculty sense of belonging and engagement in Communities of Practice. Consideration of contributors to a sense of belonging may enhance efforts to design and improve engaging faculty development programs.

Assessment of Effective Learning Transfer at Workplace after a Formal Faculty Development Program

Assessment of Effective Learning Transfer at Workplace after a Formal Faculty Development Program

Teaching Strategies in Simulator-Based Courses: Basis for Faculty Development Program

Education should prioritize enhancing instruction quality through interactive methods to foster discovery learning and research skills, leading to more engaged students. This study evaluates faculty teaching methods' effectiveness and their impact on student learning outcomes in a maritime education setting. Academic achievement, alongside learning styles and teaching strategies, is a focal point in educational research, delving into how learners engage with course material. The quantitative-descriptive research design involves maritime students, faculty, and administrators as respondents, aiming to explore their perceptions of teaching methods in simulator-based courses. Results indicate the integrative approach as the most utilized strategy, emphasizing a mean score of 4.65. The study underscores the significance of student-centered and active learning approaches to enhance educational outcomes. Findings offer valuable insights for educators and policymakers to develop effective teaching strategies tailored to maritime students' needs.

In experts’ words: Translating theory to practice for teaching self-regulated learning

Introduction Health professions education (HPE) should help students to competently self-regulate their learning, preparing them for future challenges. This study explored the perspectives of expert self-regulated learning (SRL) researchers and practitioners on the practical integration of SRL theories into teaching. Methods An exploratory qualitative research study was conducted involving semi-structured interviews with acknowledged research leaders in the field of SRL and/or experienced professionals dedicated to teaching SRL strategies for complex skills in different disciplines. The data were analyzed using an iterative thematic approach guided by a six-step framework. Results Fifteen interviews were conducted with experts from six countries representing diverse contexts, cultures, and disciplines. We identified five themes related to translating theory to practice for teaching SRL in HPE: theoretical issues, cultural aspects, stakeholders’ participation, teaching complexity, assessment, and feedback. Conclusions This study presents a useful starting point for teaching SRL. The experts suggest a supportive learning environment with the guidance of competent teachers by using general and task-specific teaching and learning strategies, as well as sufficient sources and cycles of feedback, all tailored to the culture and context. These findings call for a shift in faculty development programs to foster teachers to support second-order scaffolding in HPE.

Faculty Development Program and the Outcome of Academic Development

Background: Faculty Development Programs (FDPs) aim to improve the academic careers of faculty members. This study was designed to assess the attitudes of faculty members and the impact of FDP on their academic improvement. Methods: 12 faculty members took part in the research from 2016 to 2019. Using a Delphi method, an open secure questionnaire was provided to 12 junior faculty members in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care (DACC), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU), Tehran, Iran. Then, the keywords of the latter were analyzed, leading to a 32-item closed-answer questionnaire, filled out by the same participants. Also, the impact of the study was assessed using bibliometric improvement indices. Results: Both the response rate and participation rate were 100%. Approximately all the participants considered FDP an advantageous and promising academic program. 65 percent of the participants had academic improvement, from “Assistant Professor” to “Associate Professor” rank. Besides, the cumulative number of citations to the participants had a 16.2 times improvement. Both latter results were significantly higher than the mean improvement of the cohort faculty members in the DACC, SBMU. Conclusion: Faculty members of DACC, SBMU had positive attitudes towards FDP and described it as “a well-designed multilateral academic teamwork, thriving ethical, educational, managerial and research-related capacities”. Also, objective improvement in some academic indices was observed. In many academic environments including developing countries, FDPs are effective scientific investment methods.

Redesigning a faculty development program for clinical teachers in Indonesia: a before-and-after study.

Faculty development (FD) is important to support teaching, including for clinical teachers. Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (FMUI) has conducted a clinical teacher training program developed by the medical education department since 2008, both for FMUI teachers and for those at other centers in Indonesia. However, participation is often challenging due to clinical, administrative, and research obligations. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the urge to transform this program. This study aimed to redesign and evaluate an FD program for clinical teachers that focuses on their needs and current situation. A five-step design thinking framework (empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing) was used with a pre/post-test design. Design thinking made it possible to develop a participant-focused program, while the pre/post-test design enabled an assessment of the program's effectiveness. Seven medical educationalists and four senior and four junior clinical teachers participated in a group discussion in the empathize phase of design thinking. The research team formed a prototype of a 3-day blended learning course, with an asynchronous component using the Moodle learning management system and a synchronous component using the Zoom platform. Pre-post-testing was done in two rounds, with 107 and 330 participants, respectively. Evaluations of the first round provided feedback for improving the prototype for the second round. Design thinking enabled an innovative-creative process of redesigning FD that emphasized participants' needs. The pre/post-testing showed that the program was effective. Combining asynchronous and synchronous learning expands access and increases flexibility. This approach could also apply to other FD programs.

Accreditation of medical education in Brazil: an evaluation of seventy-six medical schools

BackgroundWe present the first results of the Accreditation System of Medical Schools (Sistema de Acreditação de Escolas Médicas – SAEME) in Brazil.MethodsWe evaluated the results of the accreditation of medical schools from 2015 to 2023. The self-evaluation form of the SAEME is specific for medical education programs and has eighty domains, which results in final decisions that are sufficient or insufficient for each domain. We evaluated the results of the first seventy-six medical schools evaluated by the SAEME.ResultsFifty-five medical schools (72.4%) were accredited, and 21 (27.6%) were not. Seventy-two (94.7%) medical schools were considered sufficient in social accountability, 93.4% in integration with the family health program, 75.0% in faculty development programs and 78.9% in environmental sustainability. There was an emphasis on SAEME in student well-being, with seventeen domains in this area, and 71.7% of these domains were sufficient. The areas with the lowest levels of sufficiency were interprofessional education, mentoring programs, student assessment and weekly distribution of educational activities.ConclusionMedical schools in Brazil are strongly committed to social accountability, integration with the national health system, environmental sustainability and student well-being programs. SAEME is moving from episodic evaluations of medical schools to continuous quality improvement policies.