Coaching educators: Impact of a novel national faculty development program for didactic presentation skills

Teaching Observation as a Faculty Development Tool in Medical Education: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION

Health professions education often includes teaching observation to inform faculty development (FD) and indirectly improve student performance. Although these FD approaches are well received by faculty, they remain underused and/or underreported, with limited opportunities to receive feedback in workplace contexts. The goal of our study was to map the depth and breadth of education literature on the use of observation of teaching as a tool of professional development in medical education.

METHODS

Following the methodology by Arksey and O'Malley, we conducted a scoping review and searched four databases for articles published in English (final searches in April 2022).

RESULTS

Of 2080 articles identified, 45 met the inclusion criteria. All observation activities were associated with one of the following FD approaches: peer observation of teaching (23 articles, 51%), peer coaching (12, 27%), peer review (9, 20%), and the critical friends approach (1, 2%). Thirty-three articles (73%) concerned formative versions of the observation model that took place in clinical settings (21, 47%), and they tended to be a voluntary (27, 60%), one-off (18, 40%), in-person intervention (29, 65%), characterized by limited institutional support (13, 29%). Both barriers and challenges of teaching observation were identified.

DISCUSSION

This review identified several challenges and shortcomings associated with teaching observation, such as inadequate methodological quality of research articles, inconsistent terminology, and limited understanding of the factors that promote long-term sustainability within FD programs. Practical strategies to consider when designing an FD program that incorporates teaching observation are outlined.

Mentoring and Supporting Our Next Generation of Women Toxicologists

Career success of women toxicologists requires intentional strategies designed to encourage and support their professional and personal growth. Key among these are mentoring approaches which should be initiated early in their academic careers and continue as their careers progress. While undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows, women engaged in all STEM fields benefit from one-on-one mentoring experiences offered by both their peers, near-peers and faculty. Here, they not only receive encouragement and lessons on "how to be a good mentee", but also gain scientific and life skills. Networking opportunities and career planning advice are also important benefits. As woman scientists progress in their careers, they continue to benefit from one-on-one mentoring and structured career development programs adapted to meet their changing needs ultimately culminating in leadership coaching as they reach the pinnacles of their careers. While mentoring success is best facilitated by structured programs that match mentees with mentors and offer training, support and programming, the availability of these programs to women toxicologists is limited. Opportunities for women to participate in structured mentoring programs should be enhanced by institutions, funding agencies and scientific societies as a component of accelerated diversity and inclusion efforts.