Who is the Teacher and Who is the Student? The Dual Service- and Engaged-Learning Pedagogical Model of Anatomy Academy
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Description
Anatomy Academy is a simultaneous service-learning experience for preprofessional school undergraduate students and preclinical professional students acting as classroom paraprofessional teachers (Mentors), and engaged-learning experience for fourth to sixth grade elementary school children (Students). Using didactic and kinesthetic active learning teaching strategies in small-group classroom environments, Mentors taught anatomy, physiology, and nutrition concepts to Students. In this study of the program's early years (2012-2014), overall objectives of improving Mentors' pedagogical confidence; and Students' science interest, science knowledge, and exercise self-efficacy were assessed. Mentors showed (89% response of 595 surveyed) improvement in content delivery (P < .001), student engagement (P < .001), classroom management (P < .001), and professionalism (P = .0001). Postprogram Mentor reflections were categorized into 7 major themes that demonstrated personal growth through the service-learning opportunity: (1) realization of an ability to make a difference in the world now; (2) acknowledgment of the importance of listening in teaching; (3) recognition that lives can and will change with "a little love"; (4) insight into the effectiveness of guiding Students through material rather than lecturing; (5) awareness of the value of respect in the learning environment; (6) cognizance of the power of individualized attention to motivate Students; and (7) reflection of one's own personal growth through the open influence of Students. Students showed (88% response of 1259 surveyed) improvement in science knowledge (P = .014) and exercise self-efficacy (P = .038), but not science interest (P = .371). Thus, while Students are learning more science and becoming more aware of their health, we need to be more overt in our presence as scientists in the educational arena.
Affiliations
- Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling (CITES), McKay School of Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
- College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Biology, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Education, College of Osteopathic Medicine, California Health Sciences University, Clovis, CA, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
- Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA.
- Department of Public Policy, Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Public Policy, Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Division of Integrative Anatomy, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Integrative Anatomy, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Laboratory for Translational Anatomy of Degenerative Diseases and Developmental Disorders (TAD4), Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA