The Effect of Interactive and Effective Lecturing Workshop for Developing Faculty Members in Teaching: An Experiment of Utilizing Peer Observation of Teaching and Feedback

Background: Whereas much has been written about the strategies, barriers and facilitator factors of effective and interactive lecturing in medical education little has been written about the effective and interactive lecturing skills educational programs for medical teachers based on peer observation of teaching. Objectives: The current study aimed at designing and implementing an interactive and effective lecturing workshop using peer observation and feedback, and finally evaluating its results. Methods: The current descriptive study was conducted in Tehran University of Medical Sciences from 2015 to 2016. The study population consisted of faculty members participating in the effective and interactive lecturing workshop and the study subjects were selected by convenience sampling method. The Kirkpatrick method was used to assess the workshop; for this purpose, the level of reaction, learning, and performance were evaluated using a valid and reliable questionnaire, as well as the one minute note technique, and a form addressing the extent of using interactive techniques in the classroom six months after participation in the workshop. Data were analyzed by using the SPSS 22. Data are presented as frequency and mean where appropriated. The notes were analyzed using manual content analyses. Results: The participants believed that the workshop could successfully encourage them to use lecturing principles and interactive lecturing techniques, and provide them with the opportunity to practice and rethink the teaching process. The interactive techniques mostly used six months after participation in the workshop belonged to the question and answer (Q& A) techniques, active evaluation, and use of scenario. Conclusions: It seems that the provision of training opportunities, observation of performance, and giving feedback were effective to improve the quality of empowerment programs. It was suggested that other empowerment programs should also address this point.