Effectiveness of Undergraduate Teaching Assistants Model in Medical Innovation Education in China

The cultivation of innovation skills is being recognized as a crucial component in medical education. While the effectiveness of the teaching assistant model in the classroom is well-documented, there has been limited exploration of their role in the medical innovation course, particularly those involving undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs). This study aimed to investigate the role of UTAs in the medical innovation course and to assess their impact on students, the UTAs themselves, and the course as a whole.

In this study, based on the stimuli-organism-response model and social cognitive career theory, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to students participating in the course to explore their innovation skills, self-efficacy, and satisfaction in the context of UTAs' involvement. Additionally, semistructured interviews and an in-depth interview were conducted to assess the impact of the UTA model on the UTAs themselves and the course, with the interview content being recorded and analyzed.

Firstly, the survey results indicated that UTAs had a positive impact on students' self-efficacy (β=0.102, P = 0.005). Students' self-efficacy was strongly correlated with both innovation and entrepreneurship (β=1.275, P < .001) and learning satisfaction (β=0.595, P < .001). Secondly, based on interview content, this study identified the reasons why undergraduate UTAs became TAs, skill enhancement, and intentions for continuous teaching. Lastly, through the in-depth interview, professors expressed that UTAs represented an innovative attempt in medical education, offering numerous advantages such as improving teaching effectiveness, relieving teaching pressure, and identifying outstanding students.

UTAs enhanced students' self-efficacy, thereby promoting the development of innovation and entrepreneurship skills, as well as course satisfaction. Moreover, this teaching model had unexpectedly positive effects on the UTAs' own skill development and course advancement. Therefore, the involvement of UTAs in the medical innovation course provided a reference for cultivating innovation capabilities in medical education.