Excellence in clinical teaching: knowledge transformation and development required. Issue 8 (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Irby, David M
• Is Part Of: Medical education. Volume 48:Issue 8(2014)
• Page Start: 776
• Page End: 784
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: Medical education -- Periodicals; Medical education -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 610.7
• DOI: 10.1111/medu.12507
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-0110

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="medu12507-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="medu12507-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Context</title> <p>Clinical teachers in medicine face the daunting task of mastering the many domains of knowledge needed for practice and teaching. The breadth and complexity of this knowledge continue to increase, as does the difficulty of transforming the knowledge into concepts that are understandable to learners. Properly targeted faculty development has the potential to expedite the knowledge transformation process for clinical teachers.</p> </sec> <sec id="medu12507-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Based on my own research in clinical teaching and faculty development, as well as the work of others, I describe the unique forms of clinical teacher knowledge, the transformation of that knowledge for teaching purposes and implications for faculty development.</p> </sec> <sec id="medu12507-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The following forms of knowledge for clinical teaching in medicine need to be mastered and transformed: (i) knowledge of medicine and patients; (ii) knowledge of context; (iii) knowledge of pedagogy and learners, and (iv) knowledge integrated into teaching scripts. This knowledge is employed and conveyed through the parallel processes of clinical reasoning and clinical instructional reasoning. Faculty development can facilitate this knowledge transformation process by: (i) examining, deconstructing and practising new teaching scripts; (ii) focusing on foundational concepts; (iii) demonstrating knowledge‐in‐use, and (iv) creating a supportive organisational climate for clinical teaching.</p> </sec> <sec id="medu12507-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>To become an excellent clinical teacher in medicine requires the transformation of multiple forms of knowledge for teaching purposes. These domains of knowledge allow clinical teachers to provide tailored instruction to learners at varying levels in the context of fast‐paced and demanding clinical practice. Faculty development can facilitate this knowledge transformation process.</p> </sec> </abstract>