title: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of student tutors as near-peer teachers in the gross anatomy course.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Peer teaching is a well-established teaching method in medical education. During the 2012/13 winter term, the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology in Ulm, Germany, introduced a longitudinal didactics program ("Train the Tutor": TtT) to train student tutors as near-peer teachers (NPT) in the dissection course (DC). Twenty-three of 38 tutors participated in the programme. Our study describes the educational concept and the NPTs' activities in the dissection course.
  
  
  METHODS
  NPTs documented their activities on a daily basis in the form of semi-structured reports. A total of 575 reports were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. Free-text analysis was performed using Grounded Theory followed by code quantification of all indications (n=1868).
  
  
  RESULTS
  NPTs spend 61% of their time dissecting by themselves or supervising the tutee's dissection process. Organisational tasks had a larger share at the beginning of the course. Just before examinations the proportion of time spent giving feedback rose. Of all positive indications, 45% described experiences working with the tutees. In contrast, 68% of all negative indications were characterized by a self-critical reflection on their own activities. NPTs included all learning domains in their teaching, substantially functioning as teachers and role models to convey particular attitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TtT-Trained Tutors (NPT) clearly met the requirements of a practical course and adjusted their activities in response to the course's progress. NPTs were concerned about their tutees' attitudes and may need more professional support within the TtT program regarding this.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: janina.walser@gmx.de.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walser
authors.affiliation: Office of the Dean of Studies, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 7, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: astrid.horneffer@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horneffer
authors.affiliation: Office of the Dean of Studies, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 7, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: wolfgang.oechsner@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Oechsner
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 23, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: markus.huber-lang@uniklinik-ulm.de.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber-Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Operative Dentistry, Medical Faculty, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, Building 29, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: s.szep@em.uni-frankfurt.de.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gerhardt-Szep
authors.affiliation: Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. Electronic address: anja.boeckers@uni-ulm.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boeckers
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy / Q000193:education*; D004210:Dissection / Q000193:education; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D010379:Peer Group; D013334:Students; D013337:Students, Medical; D013663:Teaching
keywords: Anatomy; Attitude; Gross anatomy; Medical education; Near-peer teaching; Peer-assisted learning; Teaching competence