Assessing the psychometric properties of a questionnaire evaluating the residents’ perception of peer assisted learning in emergency medicine residency program

Purpose This study aims to measure the perception of the residents regarding peer assisted learning in emergency medicine residency program as well as assessing the psychometric properties of the questionnaire used as the research tool. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdullah Medical City, Saudi Arabia, Makkah on a Convenience sample of Emergency Medicine residents who completed peer assisted learning sessions. Data were collected through a questionnaire evaluating the residents’ perception of Peer Assisted Learning. Descriptive statistics were used and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) satisfaction questionnaire was tested for construct validity and reliability. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted. The reliability of the used questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Findings The study showed that the PAL questionnaire yielded four factors. The four factors are labeled as the following: Factor 1: Cognitive congruence, Factor 2: Social congruence; Factor 3: Teaching skills in Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) session; and Factor 4: Professional development. These results indicated that questionnaire has a good structure validity. In addition, the study showed high internal consistency of the questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value for the total scale was 0.88. The perception of residents was assessed and results revealed residents’ satisfaction regarding Peer Assisted Learning. Originality/value Up to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study which assessed the psychometric properties of a questionnaire measuring the residents’ perceptions regarding Peer Assisted Learning. The study contributed to improving information regarding the psychometric properties and usefulness of PAL questionnaire.