Promoting effective teaching and learning: hospital consultants identify their needs

Objectives The aim of this study was to help hospital consultants identify their needs in relation to teaching skills, leading to the development of a teacher training programme. Design The study was directed at all 869 consultants in the region and init ially involved a postal questionnaire which had a 60.5% response rate. Setting Hospitals throughout Northern Ireland. Subjects Hospital consultants. Results Results from this questionnaire indicated that while the majority o f respondents were interested teachers, only 34% had received any teacher t raining. The questionnaire was followed by a focus group study involving th ree groups of consultants drawn randomly from those who had responded to th e questionnaire. Participants in these groups identified the following key areas of hospital education: qualities of hospital teachers; selection proc edures; problems of teaching in hospitals; the need for teacher training an d how it should be provided. Conclusion The study highlighted that hospital teachers need to acquire and update their teaching skills through attending courses that should include basic teaching and assessment/appraisal skills. These courses should fast 1 or 2 days and he provided at a regional or subregional level. As a result of this study, teacher training courses have been developed in this region .