Comparing peer education with TBL workshop in (EBM) teaching

Evidence-based medicine is one of the most important topics in medical sciences that requires a proper teaching method. Very few studies have evaluated EBM education outcomes through peers and TBL workshops. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of evidence-based medicine (EBM) education through peers with TBL workshop method in medical students.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 42 medical students of the Faculty of Medicine in Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) in 2019 who were selected through convenience sampling. Students were divided into 2 experimental and control groups based on the randomized blocking method. The data collection tools were 2 questioners that evaluated EBM knowledge and satisfaction in both intervention and control groups. The knowledge of students was compared using pretest and posttest and their satisfaction was evaluated at the end of the TBL workshop and peer education. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and descriptive tests (t test and ANOVA), and significance level was set at 0.95.

A significant difference was found between the level of basic knowledge (pretest) and secondary knowledge (posttest) in the EBM education through TBL workshop method compared to peer method. The average scores gained by students in TBL workshop were 3.8 more than the peer teaching method. The results of the Satisfaction Questionnaire were 74% in control group and 86% in the experimental group.

EBM education through TBL workshop both increased students’ knowledge and satisfaction compared to peer education. Thus, it can be concluded that providing EBM education by expert and qualified teachers through face to face teaching strategy can be effective in knowledge translation. However, peers can participate in educational sessions as facilitators.