Developing scholarly projects in education: a primer for medical teachers

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Research
• Educational Scholarship Assessment

Background:

• Boyer and Glassick's definition of scholarship applies broadly to education.
• Assessing the quality of published medical education studies highlights key elements for development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a three-step approach for developing high-quality medical education projects.
• To guide researchers in refining scholarly questions, selecting methods, and defining outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Review of Boyer and Glassick's standards for scholarship.
• Examination of elements crucial for quality medical education research.
• Proposal of a three-step development framework: question refinement, design/method selection, and outcome definition.

Main Results:

• Refining scholarly questions involves literature review, conceptual frameworks, and clear statements of intent.
• Appropriate study designs and methods are essential for educational projects.
• Outcomes should be distinct from assessment tools and categorized using Kirkpatrick's hierarchy (reaction, learning, behavior, results).

Conclusions:

• A structured, three-step approach enhances the development and quality of medical education scholarship.
• Emphasis on scholarly questions, robust methodology, and clearly defined outcomes is critical.
• The proposed framework provides a guide for rigorous educational research project development.