Characteristics of good anaesthesia teachers

The Department of Anaesthesia undertook a qualitative study to a) reveal the characteristics of teachers who had been identified as "good," and b) explore the levels of epistemological development (defined as conceptualization of knowledge) that are evidenced. Changes in medical education curricula have focused attention on the ways in which medical teaching staff conceptualize the learning/teaching interactions and their ability to alter or modify their teaching styles. Teachers are often assessed or informally recognized as "good teachers," but there are few indicators to guide what is meant by the label in anaesthesia.

Teachers who had consistently received overall ratings of 4+ on a 5 point rating scale over a five year period were selected to be interviewed. Data were analyzed a) noting key teaching characteristics and patterns of teaching and b) within the framework of adult development theories.

Good teachers in Anaesthesia all identified six characteristics necessary for good teaching. They were characterised by their "inquiry" approach to teaching, their complexity of thought and their functioning at higher relativistic/Commitment levels of epistemological development.

Teaching in anaesthesia is depicted by the need to address multiple aspects of thinking and action. Good teachers are aware of these aspects and include techniques that offer residents opportunities to develop their thinking skills to deal with medical complexities as well as guiding learners to increase their knowledge. The interviewed teachers' revealed approaches to teaching and learning that indicated their own personal cognitive complexity and levels of development.