PHENOMENON:Development of teaching skills is an important aspect of medical student training. One method of developing teaching skills is participation in peer teaching with observation and feedback from peers. This study aims to explore student teachers' experiences of peer observation of teaching and how they intend to utilize this feedback.APPROACH:We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with peer tutors who had experienced peer observation of their small group teaching and subsequent feedback. The interviews were conducted by a medical student peer not involved in the peer observation of teaching scheme. They were audio recorded and transcribed. The pseudonymised transcripts were coded independently by two researchers using thematic analysis.FINDINGS:Nine students participated in interviews lasting a mean of 42 minutes. We identified three main themes: motivations for observation, experiences of observation, and responses to feedback. Students were motivated to have their teaching observed by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors: to develop their skills and competence as a teacher, in recognition of the important role this plays in their career, to provide reassurance that they are providing good quality teaching, to ensure the content of their teaching is appropriate and accurate, and to provide evidence of engagement in, and development of, teaching. Students described feeling nervous before the observations and preparing more for their teaching than they might normally, however, during the observations they felt more comfortable which they attributed to the peer-peer relationship. Students described finding the narrative feedback more useful than the quantitative elements as it provided more detail as to how they might improve. Several students described how they have used the feedback they have received on their teaching to improve subsequent sessions.INSIGHTS:Peer observation of teaching is a useful and acceptable method of providing feedback on student teaching and recipients intend to use this feedback to improve their teaching.

Purpose: In undergraduate medical education, peer-teaching has become an established and common method to enhance student learning. Evidence suggests that peer-teaching provides learning benefits for both learners and tutors. We aimed to describe the outcomes for medical students taught by peers through systematic review and meta-analysis of existing literature.Methods: Seven databases were searched through 21 terms and their Boolean combinations. Studies reporting knowledge or skills outcomes of students taught by peers compared to those taught by faculty or qualified clinicians were included. Extracted data on students' knowledge and skills outcomes were synthesised through a random effects model meta-analysis.Results: The search yielded 2292 studies. Five hundred and fifty-three duplicates and 1611 irrelevant articles were removed during title-screening. The abstracts of 128 papers were screened against the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten studies have been included in the review. Meta-analyses showed no significant difference in peer-teaching compared to faculty teaching for knowledge or skills outcomes, standardised mean differences were 0.07 (95% CI: -0.07, 0.21) and 0.11 (95% CI: -0.07, 1.29), respectively.Conclusion: Students taught by peers do not have significantly different outcomes to those taught by faculty. As the process of teaching helps to develop both tutor knowledge and teaching skills, peer-teaching should be supported.

Medical EducationVolume 50, Issue 11 p. 1087-1088 Commentaries The feedback game: missed opportunities in workplace-based learning Eliot L Rees, Corresponding Author Eliot L Rees e.rees@keele.ac.uk orcid.org/0000-0002-6458-5808 Keele, UKCorrespondence: Eliot L Rees, School of Medicine, Keele University, David Weatherall Building, Keele Campus, Newcastle under Lyme ST5 5BG, UK. Tel: 00 44 1782 733937; E-mail: e.rees@keele.ac.ukSearch for more papers by this authorBenjamin Davies, Benjamin Davies Barnstaple, UKSearch for more papers by this author Eliot L Rees, Corresponding Author Eliot L Rees e.rees@keele.ac.uk orcid.org/0000-0002-6458-5808 Keele, UKCorrespondence: Eliot L Rees, School of Medicine, Keele University, David Weatherall Building, Keele Campus, Newcastle under Lyme ST5 5BG, UK. Tel: 00 44 1782 733937; E-mail: e.rees@keele.ac.ukSearch for more papers by this authorBenjamin Davies, Benjamin Davies Barnstaple, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 19 October 2016 https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13161Citations: 1Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume50, Issue11November 2016Pages 1087-1088 RelatedInformation

CONTEXT:Workplace-based learning remains the cornerstone of clinical training. Teaching in the clinical environment promotes active engagement as trainees are required to combine their competencies (e.g. skills in history taking, examination and clinical reasoning) to determine an appropriate course of action. High-quality clinical teaching supports and scaffolds trainees' learning in clinical workplaces. OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to explore the quality of clinical teaching at a large teaching hospital. METHODS:A retrospective video observational study of 9 years of workplace-based learning at Sacred Heart Hospital, a large private teaching hospital, was conducted. Each academic year was observed by one researcher. Clinical teaching encounters were identified and analysed using the Warwick Assessment insTrument for Clinical teacHing (WATCH). Descriptive observation notes were recorded and analysed thematically. RESULTS:A total of 131 teaching encounters provided by 12 tutors were identified. The 15-item instrument demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89. The hidden curriculum, role modelling and reflection played prominent roles in trainees' personal and professional development. CONCLUSIONS:Trainees' learning in clinical workplaces extends beyond the formal teaching they receive to include the development of professional behaviours through role modelling and reflection on clinical encounters.

With the increasing popularity and scale of peer teaching, it is imperative to develop methods that ensure the quality of teaching provided by undergraduate students. We used an established faculty development and quality assurance process in a novel context: peer observation of teaching for undergraduate peer tutors. We have developed a form to record observations and aid the facilitation of feedback. In addition, experienced peer tutors have been trained to observe peer-taught sessions and provide tutors with verbal and written feedback. We have found peer observation of teaching to be a feasible and acceptable process for improving quality of teaching provided by undergraduate medical students. However, feedback regarding the quality of peer observer’s feedback may help to develop students’ abilities further.