The Impact of Designing Near-Peer Teacher Training According to Merrill’s First Principles of Instruction

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an online asynchronous training program for near-peer teachers at the medical school level, designed using Merrill's First Principles of Instruction. A qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews and a reflective journal was conducted with second-year medical students (<i>n</i> = 10) who participated in the near-peer teaching program for the ultrasound component of the human anatomy lab. Deductive analysis revealed that near-peer teachers benefited. These themes emerged (1) near-peer teachers teaching in the Ultrasound Lab and in future medical practice, (2) activating prior learned knowledge, (3) using videos to help prepare near-peer teachers for teaching in the Ultrasound Lab, (4) providing a self-assessment of content comprehension, and (5) helping near-peer teachers to develop teaching techniques. Future research could evaluate asynchronous training for near-peer teaching in other lab-based activities, explore the impacts of near-peer teaching on medical students who receive near-peer instruction, and determine the longitudinal impacts of such programs.