Strategies for sharing pedagogical knowledge in clinical education in adapting to the impact of COVID‑19

The extent and complexity of knowledge in the field of medicine necessitate modern education systems. Rational performance in the education system depends on the synergy of educators through knowledge sharing as the basis of education. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge‑sharing strategies in clinical education and its changes during the COVID‑19 pandemic.

The content analysis was conducted in 2019 at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. Twenty‑seven clinical instructors with enough experience and knowledge in the field of clinical education were chosen based on purposive theoretical sampling. Data collection was done by semi‑structured interviews, which continued until data saturation. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and read several times to obtain a whole understanding. Next, the meaning units and initial codes were identified, and then, they were classified into subcategories and categories. To ensure the trustworthiness of the data, Lincoln and Guba criteria were considered.

The results of the study include five pedagogical knowledge‑sharing strategies: “peer‑helping, clinical education workplace,” “use of cyberspace,” “student mediation,” “working teams,” and “scientific communities.” Coronavirus pandemic was identified as the “facilitator” and the “culturalization factor” of knowledge sharing. In addition, “lack of shared knowledge management,” “lack of compliance with needs,” and “dispersion of content” were considered as barriers to the efficiency of pedagogical knowledge sharing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Sharing knowledge in a clinical education setting could continue by various strategies. The results can be used in planning for the professional development of professors.