GP supervisors--an investigation into their motivations and teaching activities.
BACKGROUND
There is little empirical information on how general practitioner (GP) supervisors teach and the reasons for the variation in their teaching methods. Could the variation be due to differing motivations to teach?


METHODS
Supervisors from one regional training provider who attended educational workshops in 2013 were surveyed, seeking infor-mation on their motivation to become and remain a supervisor, and the frequency of use of selected teaching activities.


RESULTS
The majority of respondents cited intrinsic motivators, including enjoying teaching (84%), contribution to the profession and community (82%), adding variety (78%) and workforce/succession planning (69%), as reasons for becoming GP supervisors. The expected relationships between motivations and teaching activities were not found.


CONCLUSIONS
Variation in teaching activities used by supervisors does not appear to be associated with differing motivations. Measuring the use of teaching activities is not a mechanism to determine a supervisor's commitment to teaching.
MBBS, FRACGP, DRANZCOG, is a GP supervisor, Daylesford, Victoria and Medical Educator, Beyond Medical Education, Bendigo, Victoria.
Gerard
G
Ingham
Peter
P
O'Meara
Jennifer
J
Fry
Natalie
N
Crothers
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D058006:General Practice / Q000193:education*; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009517:New South Wales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods; D014739:Victoria