Near-peer versus faculty member teaching in endocrine physiology: Medical students’ academic achievement and satisfaction

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Given the recent significant changes in the teaching strategies for basic sciences in medicine, near-peer teaching (NPT) is gaining popularity as an effective educational method. This study aimed to investigate near-peer vs. faculty member teaching in endocrine physiology: medical students’ academic achievement and satisfaction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study utilized a pre-test–post-test intervention design and involved all second-year medical students enrolled in the endocrine glands and reproductive systems physiology course. The intervention group participated in five sessions (four topics of endocrine physiology) of NPT led by a sixth-year medical student intern, along with five sessions of faculty teaching. In contrast, the control group, which consisted of all second-semester students, received the same ten sessions through faculty teaching. The academic achievement of the students was assessed based on their final exam scores and the pre-test–post-test scores obtained from each session. Additionally, students’ satisfaction was measured using a researcher-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: The results showed that in all four topics taught, both the NPT and the faculty teaching groups experienced a significant positive change in learning, evidenced by an increase in post-test when compared to pre-test scores. However, the faculty teaching group demonstrated notably greater improvements than the NPT group ( P < 0.05), which was also reflected in the students’ final exam scores. Additionally, students’ satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the faculty teaching than in the NPT groups ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: While peer teaching is a valuable strategy in the teaching-learning process, medical students prefer lecture-based learning for basic sciences.