Research Methods in Medical Education

Abstract

Research in medical education faces a number of challenges, the most serious of which is the distance between the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes and the intervention. Other issues include the variety learning preferences, habits and overall study eco-systems of students which defy one-size-fits-all approaches. The methodological toolkit of educators exploring this subject must be both broad and deep. I will discuss a range of research methods employed in medical education research, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches. These will be framed in the context of real studies, and I will underline practical steps as to how they might be used to explore educational research questions in participants’ own contexts. Finally, I will discuss advances in technology such as wearable digital devices which are changing the way in which data can be collected and provide new opportunities for educational research.