Teaching Observation as a Faculty Development Tool in Medical Education: A Scoping Review

Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions (07/18/23) Kitto, Simon; Danilovich, Natalia; Rowland, Paula; et al.

A scoping review sought to examine the extent of medical education literature focused on teaching observation for faculty development (FD). Of the 45 articles that met the inclusion criteria, researchers associated 23 articles with peer observation of teaching, 12 with peer coaching, nine with peer review and one with the critical friends approach. Thirty-three articles highlighted formative versions of the observation model occurring in clinical settings, which skewed toward a voluntary, one-off, in-person intervention with limited institutional support. Obstacles to teaching observation include inadequate methodological quality of research articles, lack of consistent terminology and insufficient comprehension of variables promoting long-term sustainability within FD programs, according to the authors. They also outlined practical approaches to keep in mind when formulating an FD program that includes teaching observation.

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