A Medical Student Inquiry Behavior Assessment Tool: Development and Validity Evidence

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine's Bridges curriculum emphasizes inquiry-based learning.
• Developing effective inquiry behaviors in medical students is crucial for advancing medical knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a tool for assessing and guiding the development of medical student inquiry behaviors in small group settings.
• To identify and operationalize core observable inquiry behaviors essential for medical training.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and expert focus groups identified initial inquiry behaviors.
• A modified two-round Delphi survey with faculty and students selected key behaviors.
• Cognitive interviews and pilot testing refined the assessment tool.
• The tool was implemented with 152 first-year medical students for faculty and self-assessment.

Main Results:

• Five core inquiry behaviors were selected: questioning, evidence justification, critical self-evaluation, acknowledging knowledge limitations, and peer collaboration.
• Implementation showed increased faculty and student scores on most items, indicating skill development.
• Validity evidence (content, response process, internal structure, consequential) was gathered for the tool.

Conclusions:

• The five-item tool effectively measures observable and measurable core inquiry behaviors.
• This tool can be utilized by facilitators in inquiry-based curricula to enhance student self-assessment and provide targeted feedback.