Fatemeh Keshmiri - Assistance Professor, Medical Education Department, Educational Developmental Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Background: Teaching is identified as a necessary role and responsibility for junior faculty members in their future careers.Objectives: The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that a student-as-teacher (SaT) program can effectively prepare the students for their future roles as teachers and educators.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, the participants included ۱۴۳ postgraduate students of ۱۲ doctorate and master’s degree programs at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, who were selected by census method . Nine learning objectives were classified in four competencydomains: (۱) adult learning principles; (۲) instructional design; (۳) teaching and learning processes; and (۴) learner’s assessment. The educational methods were based on an active learning approac.Results: The mean score of learners in the practical assessment was ۱۲.۵±۳.۶ out of ۱۵, and their mean score in the modified essay test was ۸.۵±۱.۵ out of ۱۰ after the educational intervention. The results showed that the scores of the learners’ attitude about cooperative learning were significantly different before (۲.۳۸±۰.۳۱) and after (۴.۱۵±۰.۶۵) the intervention (P=۰.۰۰۰۱). Also, the scores of learners’ capabilities in teaching were significantly different before (۲.۵±۰.۶۱) and after (۳.۸۰±۰.۳۴) the intervention (P=۰.۰۰۰۱). The learners considered their teaching capabilities to be at the level of “familiarity without mastery” and “implementation mastery” before and after the intervention, respectively (P=۰.۰۰۰۱).Conclusion: It is recommended to develop and implement SaT programs to improve the teaching capabilities of students using innovative teaching methods and prepare them for their future roles as instructors and teachers.

Teaching, Competency, Educational Capability, Postgraduate Program