DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF PEER COACHING IN MEDICAL-EDUCATION - A CASE-STUDY

Peer coaching is a process that enhances teaching repertoires of physi cians and engages them in an agreement to help one another become bett er teachers. Peer coaching develops a shared language and set of commo n understandings essential for collegial study. It is a cyclical proce ss in that clinicians' understanding and use of new skills is enhanced by demonstration, practice, and feedback. The analysis presented in t his case study discloses the way the conversational interactions of a family physician diminished or improved instructional value of the tea ching encounter. Teaching encounters and interactions with peer coache s were videotaped and analyzed using discourse analysis and politeness theory to understand aspects of the teaching encounters. Findings sug gest the physician-teacher's politeness strategies improved considerab ly with training. Further research may help in applying pedagogical co ntent knowledge to clinical teaching in medical education. it may prov ide substantive answers about shared language of physician- teachers, students, and peer coaches.