The effectiveness of clinical teaching: a model for self-evaluation

The most widely used process for evaluating teachers' effectiveness is student ratings. Although student ratings of teachers are vitally important in the evaluation process, self-evaluation and that of peers are equally important in accurately defining an individual's effectiveness in his/her teaching role. The model for self-evaluation of clinical teaching presented in this paper is adapted from the analysis in Jacobson's model of instruction evaluation. This model comprises three steps: the pre-active, interactive, and post-active. The pre-active step in clinical teaching includes such activities as preparing objectives for both teacher and students, and communicating them to the students before clinical practice. The interactive step in clinical teaching may be seen as the actual process of teaching in the clinical area, with its central activity as being the preparation and presentation of clinical assignments to the students. It is in this step when the teacher-student relationship is put to a real test. The post-active step is a process for finding out the extent to which the teacher has achieved the desired results. This step also entails such activities as grading assignments, evaluating students' clinical performance, and conducting post-experience clinical conference. A check list for self-evaluation of clinical teaching is included.