a b s t r a c t
Peer-assisted learning (PAL) as an educational philosophy benefits both the peer-teacher and peerlearner. The changing role of paramedicine towards autonomous and professional practice demands
future paramedics to be effective educators. Yet PAL is not formally integrated in undergraduate paramedic programs. We aimed to examine the effects of an educational intervention on students' PAL experiences as peer-teachers. Two one-hour workshops were provided prior to PAL teaching sessions
including small group activities, individual reflections, role-plays and material notes. Peer-teachers
completed the Teaching Style Survey, which uses a five-point Likert scale to measure participants' perceptions and confidence before and after PAL involvement. Thirty-eight students were involved in an
average of 3.7 PAL sessions. The cohort was predominated by males (68.4%) aged 25 (73.7%). Following
PAL, students reported feeling more confident in facilitating tutorial groups (p ¼ 0.02). After the PAL
project peer-teachers were also more likely to set high standards for their learners (p ¼ 0.009). This PAL
project yielded important information for the continual development of paramedic education. Although
PAL increases students' confidence, the full role of PAL in education remains unexplored. The role of the
university in this must also be clearly clarified.
ISSN:
1471-5953
eISSN:
1471-5953
Description:
Nurse Education in Practice enables lecturers and practitioners to both share and disseminate evidence that demonstrates the actual practice of education as it is experienced in the realities of their respective work environments, that is both in the University/faculty and clinical settings. It is supportive of new authors and is at the forefront in publishing individual and collaborative papers that demonstrate the link between education and practice.