Understanding the experience of being taught by peers: the value of social and cognitive congruence.
BACKGROUND
Medical schools use supplemental peer-teaching programs even though there is little research on students' actual experiences with this form of instruction.


OBJECTIVE
To understand the student experience of being taught by peers instead of by faculty.


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Lockspeiser
Tai M
TM
School of Medicine, Office of Medical Education, University of California, 521 Parnassus Ave, Box 0410, San Francisco, CA 94143-0410, USA. tai.lockspeiser@ucsf.edu
O'Sullivan
Patricia
P
Teherani
Arianne
A
Muller
Jessica
J
D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult