Research in medical education: practical impact on medical training and future challenges
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Research in medical education: practical impact on medical training and future challenges D.H.J.M. Dolmans, C.P.M. van der Vleuten
Summary Medical education research has changed over the years from merely descriptive studies towards justification or curriculum comparison studies and, nowadays, towards a slow introduction of more clarification studies. In clarification studies quantitative and qualitative methods are used to explain why or how educational interventions work or do not work. This shift is described in this paper. In addition, it is explained how research into workplace learning and assessment has impacted developments in educational practice. Finally, it is argued that the participation of teachers within the medical domain in conducting and disseminating research should be cherished, because they play a crucial role in ensuring that medical education research is applied in educational practice. (Dolmans DHJM, Vleuten CPM van der. Research in medical education: practical impact on medical training and future challenges. Netherlands Journal of Medical Education 2010;29(1):3-9)
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from merely descriptive studies, explaining which kinds of innovations are implemented in practice, towards justification studies. Justification studies often focus on comparisons of curricula; e.g. does a traditional curriculum result in different outcomes compared to an innovative curriculum?2 Slowly, more clarification studies are being reported, investigating how different variables influence each other and paying attention not only to outcomes but also to the underlying processes that could explain why and how an intervention does or does not work There has been much debate in the literature about justification or curriculum comparison studies. To (bio)medically trained researchers controlled experimentation is the hallmark of good research. But, controlling circumstances in educational interventions is very hard and often impossible. Trying to control an educational intervention may actually lead to a rather reductionist and trivial exercise.3 We do not argue that controlled experiments should never be done, because it is
Worldwide, medical education research has grown enormously the last twenty years. There have been huge increases in the number of scientific journals and the number of issues published per journal, the number of participants at national and international conferences on medical education and the number of candidates with a career as medical education researchers.1 But, apart from growth, which developments have we seen in medical education research? Has medical education research had a positive impact on medical training? What future challenges will medical education research have to meet in order to further enhance evidencebased innovations in our medical training programmes? These questions are addressed below.
Changes in medical education research Within the field of medical education research, there has been a shift in the type of studies that are conducted. It is a shift
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