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What motivates occasional faculty developers to lead faculty development workshops? A qualitative study
Patricia S O'Sullivan1, David M Irby
1P.S. O'Sullivan is professor of medicine and surgery and director, Office of Research and Development in Medical Education, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California. D.M. Irby is professor of medicine and research faculty member, Office of Research and Development in Medical Education, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California.
Understanding faculty developer motivations is key for medical schools. Occasional faculty developers are driven by mastery, relatedness, duty, purpose, and satisfaction, with satisfaction being foundational for recruitment and retention.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Faculty Development
- Motivation Theory
Background:
- Medical schools face increasing demand for faculty development.
- Expanding faculty developer pools requires engaging those outside education.
- Understanding motivations is crucial for recruiting and retaining occasional faculty developers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the motivations of faculty developers who lead workshops infrequently (1-3 times annually).
- To inform strategies for recruiting and retaining faculty developers in medical education.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 29 occasional faculty developers.
- Interviews conducted between 2007-2012 at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine.
- Thematic analysis of transcribed interviews, informed by motivation theories.
Main Results:
- Five key motivational themes identified: mastery, relatedness, duty, purpose, and satisfaction.
- Mastery: professional learning and development.
- Relatedness: collaboration and peer learning.
- Duty: academic citizenship and giving back.
- Purpose: commitment to improving teaching and patient care.
- Satisfaction: enjoyment and fun derived from the role.
Conclusions:
- Four themes (mastery, relatedness, duty, purpose) align with existing motivation literature.
- Satisfaction emerged as a foundational motivator, linking the other themes.
- Insights can guide faculty development program leaders in recruitment and retention efforts.
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