Teachers promoting expertise in medical education: understanding the role of the core curriculum

Bolander, K., Josephson, A., Mann, S.J. and Lonka, K. (2006) Teachers promoting expertise in medical education: understanding the role of the core curriculum. Quality in Higher Education, 12(1), pp. 41-55. (doi: 10.1080/13538320600685156)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the learning outcomes expressed in the core medical curriculum at a Swedish university and how these were interpreted by, and related to, teachers’ teaching goals. Additionally, we wanted to find out how these teaching goals relate to the development of expertise, a key value in medical education. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with teachers in anatomy and surgery, which is taught in the first and fourth years of the medical programme. To be implemented, a curriculum has to be interpreted by teachers, and this can lead to a mismatch between curriculum intentions and teacher goals. Hence, it is necessary to provide guidance as to whether the application of a core curriculum should be focusing on content only or include socio‐cultural ideas of learning encouraging an emphasis on process. The degree of teacher involvment in the design of the core curriculum seems to clarify the role of the core curriculum to teachers and students and certify its actuality and relationship to other courses.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: UNSPECIFIED
• Authors: Bolander, K., Josephson, A., Mann, S.J., and Lonka, K.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Quality in Higher Education
• ISSN: 1353-8322 (print)1470-1081 (online)