[Training of health professors. Role of discussion in small groups for the development of critical reading aptitude].
OBJECTIVE
Compare the achievements of an educational strategy promoting participation of three phases (homework, discussion in small groups, plenary session) and other of two phases (homework and plenary session) for the development of critical reading of educational research reports in professors of medicine and other health care areas.


METHODS
An instrument was validated with summaries of 5 published articles and 114 sentences that explored the 3 indicators of critical reading: to interpret, judge and propose; balanced by indicators and options with true/false/don't know answers. The consistency of the instrument was 0.90 (Kuder-Richardson). Two groups of medical and no medical personnel were formed at random. The experimental group (GE) was exposed to the strategy promoting the participation of three phases and the control group (GC) to the strategy promoting the participation of two phases. The contents and duration were equal in both groups.


RESULTS
Before the educative interventions there were no significant differences between the groups. After the interventions both groups advanced significantly in the global score, the GE from 32 to 82 (p < 0.005) and the GC from 28 to 52 (p < 0.01). When comparing between themselves statistically significant differences were found on behalf of the GE (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The achievement of the educational strategy promoting the participation of three phases was superior to the strategy of two phases and this difference is due to the discussion phase in small groups.
Insfrán-Sánchez
Myriam
M
Centro de Investigación Educativa y Formación Docente Norte, Delegación Nuevo León, IMSS.
Viniegra-Velázquez
Leonardo
L
D005178:Faculty; D006126:Group Processes; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D011932:Reading; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires