Validation of the 25-Item Stanford Faculty Development Program Tool on Clinical Teaching Effectiveness

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development
• Clinical Teaching Assessment

Background:

• Effective clinical teaching requires valid and reliable assessment tools for faculty feedback.
• The Stanford Faculty Development Program Tool on Clinical Teaching Effectiveness was designed to evaluate seven dimensions of teaching.
• Previous validation of the tool's factor structure was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the 25-item Stanford Faculty Development Program Tool on Clinical Teaching Effectiveness.
• To confirm the intended 7-factor structure of the tool.
• To assess student acceptability of the tool's use.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to test the 7-factor model and compare it with a modified model.
• A survey assessed the acceptability of the tool among final-year medical students (N=119).
• Exploratory analysis identified items with cross-loading for model refinement.

Main Results:

• The original 7-factor model showed poor fit (RMSEA=0.08, CFI=0.91, NNFI=0.89).
• Exploratory analysis revealed 10 items with cross-loading; removing them led to a 15-item, 5-factor model with improved fit (RMSEA=0.09, CFI=0.93, NNFI=0.91).
• Student willingness to use the tool varied, with lower acceptance for weekly assessments compared to biweekly.

Conclusions:

• The factor structure of the 25-item Stanford Faculty Development Program Tool was not confirmed.
• A modified 15-item, 5-factor tool demonstrated superior fit, suggesting it may be more appropriate.
• The 25-item tool's acceptability may be limited for frequent assessments with new preceptors; an abbreviated version is recommended.