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Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators

Ross Davey, Ana Sergio Da Silva Orcid Logo, Marcela Bezdickova

Frontiers in Medicine, Volume: 13, Start page: 1757648

Swansea University Authors: Ross Davey, Ana Sergio Da Silva Orcid Logo, Marcela Bezdickova

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DOI (Published version): 10.3389/fmed.2026.1757648

Abstract

Introduction: Near-peer teaching (NPT) has become a fundamental component of modern medical education, theoretically supported by principles of social and cognitive congruence. While the benefits for both learners and educators are well-documented, the actual pedagogical craft including the specific...

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Published in: Frontiers in Medicine
ISSN: 2296-858X
Published: Frontiers Media SA 2026
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71752
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While the benefits for both learners and educators are well-documented, the actual pedagogical craft including the specific teaching strategies and philosophies employed by Near-Peer Educators (NPEs) remains largely unexamined. This study aims to explore this pedagogical perspective within a cohort of Graduate-Entry Medicine (GEM) students delivering foundational anatomy and physiology teaching. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design utilizing reflexive thematic analysis of retrospective written reflective accounts. Participants were GEM students employed as Senior Teaching Assistants at Swansea University Medical School. Over two academic cohorts (2022/23 and 2023/24), NPEs completed a brief &#x2018;Clinical Educators Programme&#x2019; and submitted reflective essays on their teaching experiences. A total of 82 essays were analyzed to identify emergent themes regarding the NPEs&#x2019; teaching practices. Results: Near-Peer Educators engaged in a sophisticated pedagogical craft characterized by two central, interconnected themes. They employed a Cognitive Toolkit wherein they deliberately applied evidence-based cognitive science principles such as retrieval practice, dual coding, and concrete examples to manage cognitive load. A second theme of the development of a Humanistic Framework to foster a supportive learning environment was also identified. This included the active establishment of psychological safety, the use of universal design, and adaptive teaching strategies to prioritize learner wellbeing and inclusivity. Discussion: The findings characterize GEM NPEs as reflective practitioners who move beyond intuitive teaching to blend the science of learning with a deeply relational, humanistic approach. The use of the Cognitive Toolkit demonstrates the efficacy of brief formal pedagogical training, while the Humanistic Framework suggests that NPEs actively construct social congruence rather than relying solely on inherent peer traits. Furthermore, the latter mirrors the values of relationship-centered clinical care. We conclude that NPE training should evolve from instruction in techniques to the development of communities of practice. 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spelling 2026-05-11T11:54:29.8545636 v2 71752 2026-04-16 Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators 05d0c4fcf87e2fc347336b9efc288c91 Ross Davey Ross Davey true false de3fd9cf472af81153330806963ac7a9 0000-0001-7262-0215 Ana Sergio Da Silva Ana Sergio Da Silva true false 1bafa436c0932f2a26b5ca5d8b326ea4 Marcela Bezdickova Marcela Bezdickova true false 2026-04-16 Introduction: Near-peer teaching (NPT) has become a fundamental component of modern medical education, theoretically supported by principles of social and cognitive congruence. While the benefits for both learners and educators are well-documented, the actual pedagogical craft including the specific teaching strategies and philosophies employed by Near-Peer Educators (NPEs) remains largely unexamined. This study aims to explore this pedagogical perspective within a cohort of Graduate-Entry Medicine (GEM) students delivering foundational anatomy and physiology teaching. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design utilizing reflexive thematic analysis of retrospective written reflective accounts. Participants were GEM students employed as Senior Teaching Assistants at Swansea University Medical School. Over two academic cohorts (2022/23 and 2023/24), NPEs completed a brief ‘Clinical Educators Programme’ and submitted reflective essays on their teaching experiences. A total of 82 essays were analyzed to identify emergent themes regarding the NPEs’ teaching practices. Results: Near-Peer Educators engaged in a sophisticated pedagogical craft characterized by two central, interconnected themes. They employed a Cognitive Toolkit wherein they deliberately applied evidence-based cognitive science principles such as retrieval practice, dual coding, and concrete examples to manage cognitive load. A second theme of the development of a Humanistic Framework to foster a supportive learning environment was also identified. This included the active establishment of psychological safety, the use of universal design, and adaptive teaching strategies to prioritize learner wellbeing and inclusivity. Discussion: The findings characterize GEM NPEs as reflective practitioners who move beyond intuitive teaching to blend the science of learning with a deeply relational, humanistic approach. The use of the Cognitive Toolkit demonstrates the efficacy of brief formal pedagogical training, while the Humanistic Framework suggests that NPEs actively construct social congruence rather than relying solely on inherent peer traits. Furthermore, the latter mirrors the values of relationship-centered clinical care. We conclude that NPE training should evolve from instruction in techniques to the development of communities of practice. NPE training should be reconceptualized not merely as academic preparation, but as a foundational element of clinical training that develops medical professionals and educators who are as relational as they are technical. Journal Article Frontiers in Medicine 13 1757648 Frontiers Media SA 2296-858X clinical educators, education training and development, graduate entry medicine, near-peer education, pedagogy, qualitative, teacher techniques, thematic analysis 27 2 2026 2026-02-27 10.3389/fmed.2026.1757648 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Other 2026-05-11T11:54:29.8545636 2026-04-16T21:07:14.0783926 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences Swansea University Medical School - Medicine Ross Davey 1 Ana Sergio Da Silva 0000-0001-7262-0215 2 Marcela Bezdickova 3 71752__36694__9bbc29d48e1a4f928eb3afa1eca53122.pdf 71752.VOR.pdf 2026-05-11T11:50:41.2203171 Output 387227 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2026 Davey, Da Silva and Bezdickova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
spellingShingle Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
Ross Davey
Ana Sergio Da Silva
Marcela Bezdickova
title_short Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
title_full Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
title_fullStr Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
title_full_unstemmed Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
title_sort Pedagogy in practice: a qualitative analysis of evidence-based teaching methods used by graduate-entry near-peer medical educators
author_id_str_mv 05d0c4fcf87e2fc347336b9efc288c91
de3fd9cf472af81153330806963ac7a9
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author_id_fullname_str_mv 05d0c4fcf87e2fc347336b9efc288c91_***_Ross Davey
de3fd9cf472af81153330806963ac7a9_***_Ana Sergio Da Silva
1bafa436c0932f2a26b5ca5d8b326ea4_***_Marcela Bezdickova
author Ross Davey
Ana Sergio Da Silva
Marcela Bezdickova
author2 Ross Davey
Ana Sergio Da Silva
Marcela Bezdickova
format Journal article
container_title Frontiers in Medicine
container_volume 13
container_start_page 1757648
publishDate 2026
institution Swansea University
issn 2296-858X
doi_str_mv 10.3389/fmed.2026.1757648
publisher Frontiers Media SA
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str Swansea University Medical School - Medicine{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}Swansea University Medical School - Medicine
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description Introduction: Near-peer teaching (NPT) has become a fundamental component of modern medical education, theoretically supported by principles of social and cognitive congruence. While the benefits for both learners and educators are well-documented, the actual pedagogical craft including the specific teaching strategies and philosophies employed by Near-Peer Educators (NPEs) remains largely unexamined. This study aims to explore this pedagogical perspective within a cohort of Graduate-Entry Medicine (GEM) students delivering foundational anatomy and physiology teaching. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design utilizing reflexive thematic analysis of retrospective written reflective accounts. Participants were GEM students employed as Senior Teaching Assistants at Swansea University Medical School. Over two academic cohorts (2022/23 and 2023/24), NPEs completed a brief ‘Clinical Educators Programme’ and submitted reflective essays on their teaching experiences. A total of 82 essays were analyzed to identify emergent themes regarding the NPEs’ teaching practices. Results: Near-Peer Educators engaged in a sophisticated pedagogical craft characterized by two central, interconnected themes. They employed a Cognitive Toolkit wherein they deliberately applied evidence-based cognitive science principles such as retrieval practice, dual coding, and concrete examples to manage cognitive load. A second theme of the development of a Humanistic Framework to foster a supportive learning environment was also identified. This included the active establishment of psychological safety, the use of universal design, and adaptive teaching strategies to prioritize learner wellbeing and inclusivity. Discussion: The findings characterize GEM NPEs as reflective practitioners who move beyond intuitive teaching to blend the science of learning with a deeply relational, humanistic approach. The use of the Cognitive Toolkit demonstrates the efficacy of brief formal pedagogical training, while the Humanistic Framework suggests that NPEs actively construct social congruence rather than relying solely on inherent peer traits. Furthermore, the latter mirrors the values of relationship-centered clinical care. We conclude that NPE training should evolve from instruction in techniques to the development of communities of practice. NPE training should be reconceptualized not merely as academic preparation, but as a foundational element of clinical training that develops medical professionals and educators who are as relational as they are technical.
published_date 2026-02-27T06:41:31Z
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