The Interactive Relationship Between Instructor Perceptions and Learner Personality on Surgical Skills Performance

Peter Zhan Tao Wang; Claire A Wilson; Shiva M Nair; Jennifer Bjazevic; Sumit Dave; Jacob Davidson; Donald H Saklofske; Saad Chahine

doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.01.002

The Interactive Relationship Between Instructor Perceptions and Learner Personality on Surgical Skills Performance

J Surg Educ. 2022 May-Jun;79(3):686-694. doi: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.01.002. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Authors

Peter Zhan Tao Wang¹, Claire A Wilson², Shiva M Nair³, Jennifer Bjazevic², Sumit Dave², Jacob Davidson⁴, Donald H Saklofske⁵, Saad Chahine⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: peter.wang@lhsc.on.ca.
² Department of Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
³ Department of Urology, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.
⁴ Division of Pediatric Surgery, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁵ Department of Psychology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
⁶ Faculty of Education, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

PMID: 35115267
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2022.01.002

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the association between learner personality and capacity to be trained (i.e., performance improvement) on a surgical task, and how instructor perceptions of the learners' capacity to be trained interact with learner personality and performance during training and feedback. There is meaningful heterogeneity in the degree of learner surgical skills acquisition despite receiving the same amount of training. While learner personality may independently contribute to skill acquisition, the instructor-learner feedback process is also important to consider. To better understand this interpersonal relationship, it is necessary to also consider instructor factors (i.e., perceptions), and how this may contribute to learner variability in skills training.

Design: This exploratory study employed a prospective two-phase design. Medical and non-medical undergraduate students (N = 62) completed measures of personality and participated in two 20-minute training sessions with expert feedback 2 weeks apart, performing an end-to-side anastomosis on a low-fidelity model. Learner performance and instructors' perceptions of a learner's capacity to be trained were assessed.

Participants: Sixty-two medical and non-medical undergraduate students.

Results: There was a significant interaction between learner Extraversion and instructor's perceptions of learner capacity to be trained. Higher learner Extraversion was only associated with an increase in performance improvement for those who were considered trainable (OR = 4.83, p = 0.017). Post hoc analysis revealed a significant difference in the amount of feedback provided to participants who were considered trainable (M = 9.45) versus not trainable (M = 16.48).

Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of both individual learner factors and instructor perceptions on surgical skill acquisition.

Keywords: instructor perceptions; novices; personality; surgical skills.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Interpersonal Relations*
Personality*
Prospective Studies
Students