Impact of Native and Nonnative Study Partners on Medical Students' Confidence and Collaborative Strategies in Second...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Second Language Acquisition
• Linguistics

Background:

• Medical students require specialized language skills for international practice.
• Second language (L2) learning environments significantly impact student confidence and learning strategies.
• Kolb's experiential learning framework provides a model for understanding learning processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of native vs. nonnative study partners on medical students' L2 Dutch learning.
• To analyze how different grouping strategies affect confidence, learning strategies, and perceptions of learning experiences.
• To apply Kolb's experiential learning framework to L2 medical Dutch education.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods pre-post quasi-experimental design with 12 international medical students.
• Students were grouped homogeneously (nonnative pairs) or heterogeneously (mixed native/nonnative pairs).
• Pre- and post-tests used the need satisfaction competence scale; individual interviews were analyzed thematically.

Main Results:

• Both groups reported positive atmosphere, collaboration, and confidence.
• Homogeneous groups emphasized interpersonal relationships and feedback; mixed groups prioritized language learning and motivation.
• Nonnative students in homogeneous groups gained confidence; mixed groups showed decreased confidence, potentially due to social comparison.

Conclusions:

• Initiating L2 learning with homogeneous nonnative groups fosters initial collaboration and confidence.
• Introducing native partners later balances motivation, language proficiency, and interpersonal growth.
• Effective L2 medical education design should consider student stage and needs for optimal outcomes.