On the Same Page: Building Best Practices of Peer Coaching for Medical Educators Using Nominal Group Technique

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Faculty Development

Background:

• Peer coaching is a faculty development strategy that enhances teaching practices through peer observation, feedback, and collegial exchange.
• It fosters reflection, workplace learning, and learning cultures in academic settings.
• Limited resources exist to guide faculty developers in implementing effective peer coaching initiatives, potentially hindering teaching effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish consensus on best practices for peer coaching among medical educators.
• To provide guidance for faculty developers designing and implementing peer coaching programs.

Main Methods:

• A focus group of seven experts utilized the Nominal Group Technique (NGT) for consensus building.
• Qualitative inductive content analysis was employed to analyze data and identify best practices.
• Consensus was achieved with over 50% agreement among participants.

Main Results:

• Seventeen best practices for peer coaching in medical education were identified.
• A framework for peer observation, including pre- and post-observation meetings, was recommended.
• Key elements emphasized included confidentiality, behaviorally-based feedback, a safe and non-threatening environment, and organizational support.

Conclusions:

• Expert consensus yielded 17 best practices for peer coaching that optimize teaching effectiveness in medical education.
• These findings offer a practical resource for faculty developers.
• Further research is recommended to explore implementation challenges from multiple stakeholder perspectives.