Learning to teach by teaching your peers: exploring students’ needs for training in the undergraduate medical education curriculum

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Abstract

Background

Different forms of peer teaching are commonly used in medical curricula. Peer assisted learning (PAL) creates an opportunity for medical students to practice teaching and communication skills. However, more data is needed to identify how peer teachers undertake their teaching assignment and what support they need during medical school as well as to feel comfortable to teach as practicing physicians. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate medical students’ experiences of peer teaching with focus on what obstacles students meet, what support they lack, and how this support, according to students, should be designed.

Methods

A qualitative interview study was performed, collecting data through semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews with peer teachers (PTs) and peer learners (PLs). Data was analyzed with thematic analysis.

Results

The qualitative thematic analysis was based on the research questions and resulted in six themes: becoming a PT or not; experiences of received support during peer teaching; experiences of teaching– developing as a teacher; experiences of teaching– finding support for the teaching role; including PAL as part of the curriculum– desired structure; and including PAL as part of the curriculum– desired content and teaching modalities.

Conclusion

This study supports the idea that, in addition to enhanced subject specific knowledge, PTs can develop qualities useful for the educational assignment of medical doctors. More importantly, we add novel knowledge by showing that there is often insufficient formal training in the medical undergraduate curriculum for students to be sufficiently prepared for this task. To reach learning outcomes in teaching and communication, students want a training program to include a theoretical base and to learn by contextualized practical experiences with feedback. Inclusion of mandatory peer teaching in the medical curriculum should consider timing, the subject area that is taught and proper training for the peer teachers.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07022-z.

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Most cited references 29

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Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies: Guided by Information Power

Kirsti Malterud, Volkert Dirk Siersma, Ann Guassora (2015)

Sample sizes must be ascertained in qualitative studies like in quantitative studies but not by the same means. The prevailing concept for sample size in qualitative studies is "saturation." Saturation is closely tied to a specific methodology, and the term is inconsistently applied. We propose the concept "information power" to guide adequate sample size for qualitative studies. Information power indicates that the more information the sample holds, relevant for the actual study, the lower amount of participants is needed. We suggest that the size of a sample with sufficient information power depends on (a) the aim of the study, (b) sample specificity, (c) use of established theory, (d) quality of dialogue, and (e) analysis strategy. We present a model where these elements of information and their relevant dimensions are related to information power. Application of this model in the planning and during data collection of a qualitative study is discussed.

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Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective

Albert Bandura (1999)

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Understanding the experience of being taught by peers: the value of social and cognitive congruence.

Tai M Lockspeiser, Patricia O'Sullivan, Arianne Teherani … (2008)

Medical schools use supplemental peer-teaching programs even though there is little research on students' actual experiences with this form of instruction. To understand the student experience of being taught by peers instead of by faculty. We conducted focus groups with first- and second-year medical students participating in a supplemental peer-teaching program at one institution. From the learner focus group themes, we developed a questionnaire and surveyed all first-year students. Focus groups revealed four learner themes: learning from near-peers, exposure to second-year students, need for review and synthesis, teaching modalities and for the peer-teachers, the theme of benefits for the teacher. Factor analysis of the survey responses resulted in three factors: second-year students as teachers, the benefit of peer-teachers instead of faculty, and the peer-teaching process. Scores on these factors correlated with attendance in the peer-teaching program (P < .05). Students valued learning from near-peers because of their recent experience with the materials and their ability to understand the students' struggles in medical school. Students with the highest participation in the program valued the unique aspects of this kind of teaching most. Areas for improvement for this program were identified.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Sara George Sahba:

Bio :

Sara George Sahba

graduated from the medical program at Karolinska Institutet in 2024.

Anna Bonnevier:

Bio :

Anna Bonnevier

is an educational developer at the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), Division for learning, Karolinska Institutet. Her work and research focus on how students’ development of understanding can be supported and how teachers can facilitate that process.

Terese Stenfors:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0854-8631

Bio :

Terese Stenfors

is a professor of medical education at the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), Division for learning, Karolinska Institutet. Her work and research focus on lifelong learning for health care professionals.

Ellinor Kenne:

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-5244

ellinor.kenne@ki.se

Bio :

Ellinor Kenne

is an assistant senior lecturer in physiology at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Division of Molecular exercise physiology, Karolinska Institutet. Her work and research focus on supporting struggling students and the influence of senior students as role models for younger students.

Journal

Journal ID (nlm-ta): BMC Med Educ

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): BMC Med Educ

Title: BMC Medical Education

Publisher: BioMed Central (London )

ISSN (Electronic): 1472-6920

Publication date (Electronic): 21 March 2025

Publication date PMC-release: 21 March 2025

Publication date Collection: 2025

Volume: 25

Electronic Location Identifier: 414

Affiliations

[1 ]Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Division of Molecular Exercise Physiology, Karolinska Institutet, ( https://ror.org/056d84691) Biomedicum 5C Karolinska Institutet 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden

[2 ]Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), Division for Learning, Karolinska Institutet, ( https://ror.org/056d84691) Stockholm, Sweden

Author information

Terese Stenfors https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0854-8631

Ellinor Kenne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2784-5244

Article

Publisher ID: 7022

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-025-07022-z

PMC ID: 11927351

SO-VID: 4d6f09ed-2504-4559-a2f4-e91a1cdbb762

License:

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Date received : 23 December 2024

Date accepted : 14 March 2025

Funding

Funded by: Karolinska Institutet’s Pedagogical Project 2020

Custom metadata

ScienceOpen disciplines: Education

Keywords: medical education,peer assisted learning,peer teachers,peer learners,teacher training,curriculum development,medical students,qualitative research,focus groups

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Education

Keywords: medical education, peer assisted learning, peer teachers, peer learners, teacher training, curriculum development, medical students, qualitative research, focus groups

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Learning to teach by teaching your peers: exploring students’ needs for training in the undergraduate medical education curriculum

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Abstract

Background

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Supplementary Information

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UCL: UN SDG 04 Quality Education

Most cited references 29

Sample Size in Qualitative Interview Studies: Guided by Information Power

Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective

Understanding the experience of being taught by peers: the value of social and cognitive congruence.

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