Effect of the learning climate of residency programs on faculty's teaching performance as evaluated by residents.
BACKGROUND
To understand teaching performance of individual faculty, the climate in which residents' learning takes place, the learning climate, may be important. There is emerging evidence that specific climates do predict specific outcomes. Until now, the effect of learning climate on the performance of the individual faculty who actually do the teaching was unknown.


OBJECTIVE
THIS STUDY: (i) tested the hypothesis that a positive learning climate was associated with better teaching performance of individual faculty as evaluated by residents, and (ii) explored which dimensions of learning climate were associated with faculty's teaching performance.


METHODS
We conducted two cross-sectional questionnaire surveys amongst residents from 45 residency training programs and multiple specialties in 17 hospitals in the Netherlands. Residents evaluated the teaching performance of individual faculty using the robust System for Evaluating Teaching Qualities (SETQ) and evaluated the learning climate of residency programs using the Dutch Residency Educational Climate Test (D-RECT). The validated D-RECT questionnaire consisted of 11 subscales of learning climate. Main outcome measure was faculty's overall teaching (SETQ) score. We used multivariable adjusted linear mixed models to estimate the separate associations of overall learning climate and each of its subscales with faculty's teaching performance.


RESULTS
In total 451 residents completed 3569 SETQ evaluations of 502 faculty. Residents also evaluated the learning climate of 45 residency programs in 17 hospitals in the Netherlands. Overall learning climate was positively associated with faculty's teaching performance (regression coefficient 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.37 to 0.71; P<0.001). Three out of 11 learning climate subscales were substantially associated with better teaching performance: 'coaching and assessment', 'work is adapted to residents' competence', and 'formal education'.


CONCLUSIONS
Individual faculty's teaching performance evaluations are positively affected by better learning climate of residency programs.
Professional Performance Research Group, Center for Evidence-Based Education, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Kiki M J M H
KM
Lombarts
Professional Performance Research Group, Center for Evidence-Based Education, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Board of Directors, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Maas Jan
MJ
Heineman
Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Albert J J A
AJ
Scherpbier
Professional Performance Research Group, Center for Evidence-Based Education, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States ; Center for Health Policy Research, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States ; Center for Global and Immigrant Health, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.
Onyebuchi A
OA
Arah
D004501:Education, Medical; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007858:Learning; D011361:Professional Competence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013337:Students, Medical