Faculty Development Program Research Articles

Assessment of faculty development programs in African Medical Schools: A systematic review

Background: Faculty development is a critical component of medical education, playing a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of teaching, research, and clinical practice. In the context of African medical schools, where unique challenges exist, the effectiveness of faculty development programs becomes crucial. This systematic review aims to evaluate and analyze the existing literature on faculty development programs (FDPs) implemented in African medical schools. Aim: The primary focus was to assess the effectiveness, impact, and key characteristics of these programs in enhancing the teaching, research, and professional development of faculty members. Method: A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and grey literature databases. Inclusion criteria encompassed articles reporting on faculty development initiatives within medical schools across the African continent. The search was not restricted by publication date, ensuring a broad scope of evidence. The initial search yielded a substantial number of studies, and after screening for eligibility, a final set of articles was included in the systematic review. The identified faculty development programs varied in their structure, duration, and focus areas, encompassing pedagogical training, research capacity building, and leadership development. The outcomes assessed included changes in teaching methodologies, research productivity, and overall job satisfaction among faculty members. Conclusions: This review suggests that there is need to invest in faculty development program, create a better learning policy, by implementing these strategies, the quality of teaching, research, and clinical practice will be improved In African medical schools.

Infusing Quantitative Reasoning Skills into a Differential Equation Class in an Urban Public Community College

This research centers on implementing Quantitative Reasoning (QR) within a differential equations course at an urban public community college. As a participant in the Numeracy Infusion for College Educators (NICE) faculty development program, I sought to integrate QR skills into my curriculum. Students in the course were introduced to QR goals using real-world data sets, particularly those related to population growth, which aim to enhance their understanding, sharpen their problem-solving abilities, and cultivate a positive perspective on the real-world relevance of mathematics. Preliminary findings indicate varied levels of QR skill development among students. These results underscore the potential benefits of infusing QR into mathematics courses and provide insights for educators looking to adopt similar strategies in their teaching.

Pharmacy education 2.0 with special reference to digital India

Indian pharmacy education has grown and changed, producing trained individuals needed in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Pharmacy education in India is reviewed here, noting its merits, weaknesses, and future possibilities. India has many pharmacy schools, with a concentration in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) regulates curriculum and infrastructure. Diploma, undergraduate (B. Pharm), postgraduate (M. Pharm), and doctoral (Ph.D.) pharmacy programs serve students with varied professional goals. Students learn basic pharmaceutical sciences, technology, medication interactions, clinical pharmacy, and regulation to prepare for healthcare careers. Through experiential learning, creative methods, and digital resources, the teaching methods integrate academic knowledge with practical applications. Students' critical thinking and involvement improve with collaborative learning. Quality pharmacy education is ensured by qualified instructors, research culture, and industry exposure. Faculty development programs improve teaching and research skills. Along with academic guidance, student research projects create a research mindset. Industry-academia partnership enhances students' experiences and employability through internships, cooperative research, guest lectures, and technology transfer. Specialization and transdisciplinary programs can help Indian pharmaceutical education meet industrial needs. Focusing on research-oriented learning and sponsoring research projects will boost innovation and science. The merger of AI and precision medicine will prepare graduates for the future of healthcare. Faculty development programs will keep academics current, and industry-government-academia collaboration will solve healthcare problems. Growth requires filling skill gaps, responding to the changing healthcare market, and assuring quality and consistency. Transparency, accountability, and global recognition depend on accreditation. Pharmacy education in India can produce skilled pharmacists that promote healthcare and science by addressing obstacles and embracing the future. Pharmacy education will become a cornerstone of healthcare excellence and innovation in India with ongoing stakeholder initiatives.

Faculty development program to enhance teaching quality in construction

This paper addresses the implementation of a faculty teaching development program to enhance the teaching skills of newly hired CME faculty in construction core subjects. The main objective of the study was to investigate to what extent CME faculty perceived various aspects and impacts of faculty development programs. This program was first conducted in the summer of 2022 in which 15 junior faculty participated in educational modules, presented by nationally recognized construction instructors. A quantitative survey was designed and distributed among the participants to gain their opinions and perceptions about the importance of faculty development and its potential effects on the enhancement of junior faculty teaching and mentorship skills. The results indicated a gap in the current CME academic practices as 27% of participants reported that their schools did not provide any mentorship program. This need was noticeable in the transition of newly hired faculty from their graduate programs to instructional academic careers. Also, the findings emphasized a significant potential (over 60% high or very high in all impact areas) for faculty development programs in CME. The findings of this study help CME scholars and administrators assiduously design and develop educational components to prepare their graduate students for academic positions.

Enhancing Faculty Development for Effective Team-Based Learning (TBL) Implementation in Higher Education

Successful implementation of Team-Based Learning (TBL) in higher education is preeminent in faculty development. This review surveys the wide array of methodologies, along with the challenges and best practices involved, in developing faculty with the knowledge and skills they need to create a successful TBL implementation. Faculty development programs are crucial in preparing educators for the skills, knowledge, and confidence to move from didactic teaching to student-centered orientation with collaborative approaches. The focus area covers instructional design, team facilitation, assessment strategies, and more. This review highlights case-specific approaches from various universities that offer TBL-focused faculty development programs. The need to evaluate faculty development programs to understand their long-term effect on faculty and students is also highlighted. In addition, this review points out the need for ongoing professional development, simulation-based learning, and solid institutional support. Through structured faculty development programs which include continuous feedback and a multidiscipline approach, it is possible for institutions to guarantee that TBL will have a positive impact on learning outcomes and the overall educational experience for their students. Future program recommendations focus on continuing support, including the integration of other advanced teaching technologies to ensure that TBL knowledge and practice work within the medical curriculum, and to help medical schools develop sharing and collaboration efforts across institutions.

Preparing Institutions to Implement Harmonized Medicine and Nursing Curricula Through the Use of Cross-Institutional Faculty Developers.

Effective implementation of new curricula requires faculty to be knowledgeable about curriculum goals and have the appropriate pedagogical skills to implement the curriculum, even more so if the new curriculum is being deployed at multiple institutions. In this paper, we describe the process of creating a common faculty development program to train cross-institutional faculty developers to support the implementation of national harmonized medicine and nursing curricula. A five-step approach was used, including a cross-institutional needs assessment survey for faculty development needs, the development of a generic faculty development program, the identification and training of cross-institutional faculty educators, and the implementation of cross-institutional faculty capacity-building workshops. A list of common cross-cutting faculty development needs for teaching and learning was identified from the needs assessment survey and used to develop an accredited, cross-institutional faculty development program for competency-based learning and assessment. A total of 24 cross-institutional faculty developers were identified and trained in 8 core learning and assessment workshops. A total of 18 cross-institutional and 71 institutional workshops were conducted, of which 1292 faculty members and 412 residents were trained, and three cross-institutional educational research projects were implemented. The success attained in this study shows that the use of cross-institutional faculty developers is a viable model and sustainable resource that can be used to support the implementation of harmonized national curricula.

Does Entrepreneurship Education ensure Entrepreneurial Competencies? -An Omani Higher Education Perspective of Faculty Professional Development Program

In the scenario of Omani Higher Education, populating the eco-system with ‘Certified Entrepreneurship Educators as trainers’, along with allied organizations that enable entrepreneurship in Oman is a necessity that needs to be addressed. A ‘Certified Entrepreneurship Educators’ program is a professional development workshop that had precisely been conceptualized for this reason in Oman and has served the purpose to this end. Specifically, the program had been proposed to raise awareness about innovation, including new scientific theories and newer pedagogies for benchmarking as well as expanding the knowledge to learn, “Teaching Entrepreneurship’ as a subject-area to teachers at varied skills levels. Furthermore, the content and concepts of the program had focused on enhancing the innovation value chain to improve the perspectives of the learners from not just being “small businesses” but aspire themselves to be “creative enterprises.” The Information that was captured in the process of delivery of this modular faculty development program was the first step to the development of a set of competencies. These competencies when tested can imbibe trainable skill set for a result-oriented and enhanced learning outcome-based faculty development program. The professional development program was a customization of an international experts’ modular approach to cater to needs. of the local environment. Capacity-Building on Competencies was the value expected to be captured and this paper reviews some competence development frameworks and their implications for stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Measuring the added value of virtual communities of practice for developing the educator role of critical care professionals

In healthcare settings, workplace learning is often supported by clinicians who strive to combine service provision and educator roles. We evaluated an international 12-month programme that supports widely distributed critical...

Faculty development programmes in simulation-based teaching: An exploration of current practices.

Simulation-based teaching (SBT) has become integral to healthcare education, offering a dynamic and immersive learning experience for bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world clinical practice. Faculty members play a crucial role in shaping the effectiveness of simulation-based education, necessitating the implementation of comprehensive faculty development programmes. This scoping review explores existing literature on training programmes for simulation-based teaching, focusing on strategies employed and the overall impact on educators and the quality of simulation-based education. The scoping review comprised five sequential steps: identifying the research question; identifying relevant studies; study selection; charting the data; and collating, summarising, and reporting the results. The research questions focused on existing practices and approaches in faculty development for simulation-based teaching, challenges or barriers reported, and the effectiveness of utilised methods and strategies. A systematic search of databases yielded 13 studies meeting inclusion criteria out of 1570 initially screened papers. These studies provided insights into various aspects of faculty development programmes, including their nature, duration, and participant profiles. Despite the diversity in approaches, detailed, specialty-specific programmes were scarce, especially in anaesthesiology. Challenges, while implicit, lacked explicit exploration. Most studies reported positive outcomes, emphasising achievement of learning objectives, appreciable course content, and relevance to teaching practices. This scoping review describes the existing literature regarding the faculty training or development programmes related to SBT. The programmes target various health professionals and have a wide range of durations. The need for such a programme targeting anaesthesiologists is emphasised.

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.

Exploring Faculty Development Frameworks in Medical Education: Challenges and Opportunities

This review examines the intersection of faculty development frameworks in medical education and instructional system design (ISD) principles. A systematic review of existing literature follows the PRISMA guidelines, and data analysis combined inductive and deductive approaches to examine key framework components, strategies in faculty development frameworks, and alignment with instructional system design principles. The findings show a tapestry of shared components and diverse approaches, each offering unique value. Incorporating ISD principles can amplify the impact of medical faculty development programs. The study can deepen our understanding of medical faculty development frameworks and provide valuable insights for creating reliable solutions.

A Model Curriculum For New Faculty Coaches in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Coaching is an interactive process of performance improvement accomplished by fostering a coachee's ability to critically self-evaluate, create goals, and develop a plan for action. It is being increasingly used in medical education, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends robust faculty development for any coaching program. Our institution created a mandatory coaching program for students starting in August 2022 with 22 faculty coaches. We used Kern's 6-step model for curriculum development to create our institution's faculty development for coaches. This manuscript describes the process of development, implementation, and early program evaluation for the curriculum for faculty coaches for the first 4 months of our mandatory coaching program. The objectives and teaching strategies are outlined. Our program evaluation consisted of immediate and follow-up surveys of faculty attendees. Content in the faculty development program describing the medical student curriculum, assessment, and student resources improved faculty perceived knowledge and confidence. Specific training in coaching skills, including a simulation using standardized students was used and found to be essential. We offer lessons learned from our coaches regarding timing and content for any faculty development curriculum for new coaches. Considerations for future faculty development curricula for academic coaching programs include timing of the faculty development, content consideration after three coaching sessions, and potential content additions and deletions. The curriculum outlined can be taken and immediately adapted for any school of medicine embarking on a coaching program for students.

English Teachers’ Readiness for Home-Based Learning Its Relationship to Teachers’ Performance

The researcher aimed to determine the relationship between English teachers' readiness for home-based learning and their performance. The study's presumed hypothesis was tested using a descriptive correlational design with a significance level of 0.05. The data were analyzed using a variety of statistical measures, including frequency count, mean, and multiple regression analysis, to answer the study question. Furthermore, the researcher used a reliable and valid instrument designed by Mansor et al. (2021) to measure the level of readiness for home-based learning among teacher respondents. Meanwhile, a documentary analysis was used to evaluate the English teachers' performance. The study was evaluated and approved for implementation by the LCUP-REC. To assure consistency, the researcher asked 252 teachers from nine (9) schools in one of Bulacan's educational districts to complete the standardized surveys using Google Form while maintaining rigid anonymity. The data were examined and handled statistically using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results indicated a value larger thanthe predetermined 0.05 threshold of significance. The researcher failed to reject the null hypothesis, which states that there is not a significant relationship between English teachers' readiness for home-based learning and their performance. Furthermore, the study proposed a faculty development program concentrating on English language competency as part of teachers' ongoing professional development to improve their level of readiness for home-based learning, particularly in terms of subjective norms.

Commitment to inclusion: The importance of collaboration in gender equity work.

Despite decades of faculty professional development programs created to prepare women for leadership, gender inequities persist in salary, promotion, and leadership roles. Indeed, men still earn more than women, are more likely than women to hold the rank of professor, and hold the vast majority of positions of power in academic medicine. Institutions demonstrate commitment to their faculty's growth by investing resources, including creating faculty development programs. These programs are essential to help prepare women to lead and navigate the highly matrixed, complex systems of academic medicine. However, data still show that women persistently lag behind men in their career advancement and salary. Clearly, training women to adapt to existing structures and norms alone is not sufficient. To effectively generate organizational change, leaders with power and resources must commit to gender equity. This article describes several efforts by the Office of Faculty in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to broaden inclusivity in collaborative work for gender equity. The authors are women and men leaders in the Office of Faculty, which is within the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine dean's office and includes Women in Science and Medicine. Here, we discuss potential methods to advance gender equity using inclusivity based on our institutional experience and on the findings of other studies. Ongoing data collection to evaluate programmatic outcomes in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will be reported in the future.

How Does a Junior Faculty Development Program Affect Burnout? A Mixed Methods Assessment.

Burnout is common among junior faculty. Professional development has been proposed as a method to improve engagement and reduce burnout among academic physicians. The Penn State College of Medicine Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP) is a well-established, interdisciplinary program. However, an increase in burnout was noted among participants during the program. The authors sought to quantify the change in burnout seen among JFDP participants across 3 cohorts, and to explore sources of well-being and burnout among participants. Through a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach, participants in the 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2020/21 cohorts took a survey assessing burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory), quality of life (QoL), job satisfaction, and work-home conflict at the start and end of the course. Descriptive statistics were generated as well as Pearson χ2 test/Fisher exact test for categorical variables and Wilcoxon rank sum tests for continuous variables for group comparisons. To better understand the outcome, past participants were invited to interviews regarding their experience of burnout during the course. Inductive thematic analysis (kappa = 0.86) was used to derive themes. Start- and end-of-course surveys were completed by 84 and 75 participants, respectively (response rates: 95.5% and 85.2%). Burnout associated with patient/learner/client/colleague increased (P = .005) and QoL decreased (P = .02) at the end compared with the start. Nonsignificant trends toward worsening in other burnout categories, work-home conflict, and job satisfaction were also observed. Nineteen interviews yielded themes related to risks and protective factors for burnout including competing demands, benefits of networking, professional growth, and challenges related to diverse faculty roles. Junior Faculty Development Program participants demonstrated worsening of burnout and QoL during the program while benefiting from opportunities including skill building and networking. The impact of Junior Faculty Development Programs on the well-being of participants should be considered as an element of their design, evaluation, and refinement over time.

Sustaining hybrid teaching as effective pedagogy at higher education institutions: Students' voices.

There is a dire need to ensure higher education institutions employ effective pedagogy in their educational programs. Hybrid teaching has received increased attention in recent decades due to its effectiveness in improving learning outcomes. There is a lack of studies exploring students' views on hybrid teaching in acupuncture programs in the South African context. Therefore, this study explored acupuncture students' views of hybrid teaching in the acupuncture program. The Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge Model was anchored in this study as a theoretical lens. The author employed a qualitative single case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. A purposive sampling technique was adopted to recruit six participants for this study from an identified public university in South Africa. Participants were interviewed between March 2023 and May 2023. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings of this study highlight positive student views of the hybrid model, emphasizing its benefits in optimizing the teaching and learning process. However, participants also identify barriers such as poor infrastructure and the absence of computer skills. The study underscores the need for substantial investment in technological facilities and faculty development programs to enhance lecturers' digital pedagogical competencies. While offering valuable insights into the specific context studied, limitations include the single-case design and the focus on a particular student cohort. Despite these limitations, the research contributes to the ongoing discourse on effective teaching methodologies in the dynamic landscape of higher education. Recommendations are proposed to address the identified challenges and foster an inclusive and technologically advanced learning environment in South African HEIs.

An Integrated Competency-based Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Education Programme in Bhutan

Introduction: Training of health human resources is an integral component of strengthening health systems. In Bhutan, the postgraduate training programme commenced in 2014 and the undergraduate programme is scheduled to begin in 2024.Methods: The curriculum was drafted by a team of experts and reviewed over multiple rounds with medical educators, health administrators and field experts from within and outside the country. The curriculum was validated by a team of experts from the university and the medical council. The curriculum for the Bhutan Medicine Programme adopted an integrated approach for teaching-learning and assessments.Results: Core competencies have been defined to meet the needs of a graduate that is prepared to face the challenges of the present and the future. Learning objectives are constructively aligned with teaching-learning and assessment tools. The five-year programme includes the Foundation of Medicine, Early Clinical Exposure, System integration through module-based learning, Clinical rotations including professorial attachments and internship. Community medicine, behavioural sciences and medical humanities are incorporated through the first to fourth years. We foresee a challenge in the acceptance of an integrated curriculum from sections of senior clinicians and teachers who have been trained in a traditional curriculum. A series of faculty development programmes have been conducted to discuss advantages of an integrated approach.Conclusion: Implementation of an integrated curriculum requires adequate faculty together with faculty development. Faculty recruitment is ongoing at the time of publication.

Student-centered Learning Approaches in The State Universities of Sri Lanka: Exploring Socio-cultural Impacts through A Conceptual Analysis

This article provides a comprehensive examination of student-centered learning (SCL) in Sri Lanka's state tertiary education sector, focusing on its socio-cultural influences. The study explores the intricate relationship between pedagogical methods and societal dynamics, highlighting how SCL enhances student engagement and independent thinking. Using a literature review of theoretical frameworks and empirical studies, this paper delves into the complex interplay between SCL and socio-cultural factors, including cultural values, social norms, and educational traditions unique to Sri Lanka. The research investigates the impact of SCL on key stakeholders and analyses various aspects of SCL, considering its principles, practices, and outcomes. It also addresses how these align with traditional Sri Lankan values, such as respect for authority, collectivism, and communal harmony, which have historically influenced education in the country. This paper emphasises the need for a pedagogical shift and concrete action plans. It advocates for faculty development programmes and institutional support to effectively implement SCL in Sri Lankan state universities. Additionally, the study anticipates and addresses potential challenges in adopting this modern learning approach in Sri Lanka.The findings have practical implications for policymakers, educational institutions, and educators. They highlight the importance of considering support mechanisms, curriculum design, teacher training, and cultural sensitivities to promote student engagement, empowerment, and holistic development in Sri Lanka's educational landscape.

Examining the Effectiveness of English as the Medium of Instruction for Undergraduates at The Shaikh Ayaz University, Shikarpur

The current research is conducted on use of English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in the context where English is used as second language. The objectives of the study are to explore the problem in using EMI apart on the perception of students and how EMI is beneficial for students by examining the perception of students studying in The Shaikh Ayaz University Shikarpur. The researcher has used the quantitative approach and data were collected through questionnaire consisted of 60 close-ended questions and handed over to 30 students from the university. Data were statistically analyzed through Microsoft excel 2007 to find out the percentage. The findings identified benefits such as use of EMI helps in learning a language, it has positive effect on students’ academic performance, the ease of access to materials of learning, provide better future job opportunities, enhance intellectual abilities and also helpful in higher studies. The study suggests majority of students were comfortable in Sindhi medium instruction but besides their comfort and drawbacks of EMI 90% Students preferred English language to be continues as the medium of instruction. The findings indicate positive outcomes, including enhanced language proficiency and improved academic performance among students instructed in English. However, challenges such as difficulties in grasping complex subject matter and concerns about inclusivity for students with varying English language skills were also identified. The study suggests pedagogical implications, emphasizing the need for faculty development programs and language support services to enhance teaching methods and ensure equitable access to education.

Analysis of a Needs Assessment Survey to Develop an Online Resource Repository Supporting Nurse Anesthesia Educators.

Without highly qualified nurse anesthesia educators and administrators, the health care system will be threatened by the inadequate supply of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs). American Association of Nurse Anesthesiologists' Faculty Stabilization Task Force (FSTF) analyzed reasons for high faculty turnover and developed recommendations to support nurse anesthesia faculty and administrators. A survey evaluated participants' current role, leadership development opportunities, mentorship experiences, and resource needs. Of 109 respondents, 87 (80%) were program administrators or assistant administrators with less than 5 years of experience in their role. Despite academic experience, 51% felt adequately prepared for their role. The FSTF provided 2 recommendations: to create a robust faculty development program for all faculty at all levels of CRNA education and a repository of information needed for program administrators and faculty to oversee and educate students in a high-quality CRNA program.