Peer-Led Versus Conventional Teacher-Led Methodological Research Education Sessions: An Initiative to Improve Medical Education Research Teaching

Abstract

Introduction: To enhance doctors’ engagement with research, the National Medical Research Association (NMRA) developed a research teaching series, delivering peer-led (PL) sessions by medical students and conventional teacher-led (CL) sessions by licenced physicians/lecturers. We assessed the effectiveness of the series and compared the PL and CL approaches. Methods: The teaching sessions were delivered virtually via Zoom weekly either PL or CL. Feedback was provided by participants on completion of every session using a 10-point Likert scale assessing their knowledge pre- and post-training. Results: A total of 87 participants were included generating 782 feedback forms, 367 (47.1%) for PL and 412 for CL sessions. The median knowledge scores significantly increased following each session (p-value < 0.05) independent of teaching approach. An overall improvement in the median knowledge score from all sessions from 5/10 to 8/10 was reported. There was no significant difference between knowledge gained from the CL or PL teaching. Conclusion: Didactic PL research training sessions are equally effective as CL sessions.