127 Preparing medical teachers for small-group active learning Participant: I think it was the frequent meetings [that supported participants’ development]: the peer coaching and the tutor meetings. There I could discuss my experiences, what I ran into and what went well. That gave me confidence: I am not the only one running into this. Interviewer: and how did those meetings support your development? The training was for first-time tutors. It [the FDI] should guide someone on how to start. Ensure they have enough tools so that they can at least start their study groups and guide the students. […] I think that the initial course day ensured that we could actually get started. And between the meetings, it [the FDI] ensured that I remained sharp on where I am working on now and how I can proceed. You need to continue developing your skills, because you can’t just say: you’ve had training, here is your tutor certificate, you can now facilitate study groups perfectly from now on. It does not work like that, so there needs to be something. I think this [the FDI] had a pretty good balance, although there is time involved in all those moments of returning and peer coaching session and the like. Especially when we, for instance, also have other work to do. I think it is a good balance. You have a few study group meetings, brainstorm sessions, and presentations, and then you get together again [with peers and supervisor] to discuss how this period went. It actually worked quite well this way. (Iteration 2, Participant 15) The participants appreciated this approach, as it enriched their learning experiences and promoted a culture of continuous improvement and adaptation in their teaching practices. DISCUSSION In this study, we designed, implemented and evaluated an FDI aimed at enhancing medical teachers’ competencies in facilitating small-group active learning. We focused specifically on stimulating transfer of knowledge and skills through combining SDL with off-the-job and on-the-job learning. This study resulted in two main findings. First, participants reported that the FDI enhanced their competencies in facilitating small-group active learning, motivated them to transfer what they learned to their teaching practices, and confirmed SDL as a suitable method for their development. Second, according to the participants, the combination of SDL with off-the-job and on-the-job learning stimulated transfer through: 1) providing autonomy in personal learning objectives and learning process, 2) peer, supervisor and student support, and 3) engaging them in a cycle of experiencing, reflecting, understanding, and applying. This study contributes to the FDI literature by demonstrating the value of designing FDIs that combine SDL with off-the-job and on-the-job learning experiences. SDL can strengthen teachers’ autonomy and flexibility to pursue personally relevant knowledge and skills, while the combination of off-the-job and on-the-job learning can provide teachers with essential knowledge and skills, significant work experiences, support, and feedback related to those pursuits (17,18). This design may provide a solution to previously identified constraints in time, finances, and organizational support (7,8,19), by offering potentially an efficient 6
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