Accelerating Educational Innovation in the MPH Degree Program: What Is the Role of Peer Review of Teaching?

Purpose: The environment of public health practice is rapidly changing, creating the need to adapt graduate education and accelerate educational innovation. Formative peer review is a strategy designed to promote critical reflection on teaching and to develop faculty as teachers. Through case study methods, we explore how peer review of teaching may catalyze reflective practice and contribute to the redesign of public health education. Methods: We conducted a detailed contextual analysis of a peer review of teaching program implemented from 2011-2014 in a global health department with approximately 200 students and 26 teaching faculty. The case study used multiple data sources including peer review feedback reports, a survey of participating instructors and reviewers, and administrative data. Results: Faculty had favorable attitudes toward peer review, especially the opportunity to learn by observing others teach. Peer review reports confirmed existing good teaching practices and suggested ways to improve student engagement and develop teachers in ways which are aligned with MPH program redesign goals. Both peer reviewers and instructors reported benefiting from the process. Conclusions: Formative peer review may help to spread innovative teaching practices among faculty by providing opportunities for reflection, increasing motivation and confidence to adopt pedagogical changes, and strengthening teaching community. Increased knowledge of other teachers' courses and social ties created through peer review can be resources in promoting MPH curriculum integration and collaboration across disciplines. Recommendations: Schools of public health should consider peer review of teaching as a pathway to promote greater student engagement and practice-based learning. In planning for peer review of teaching programs, leaders need to find ways to address time-related concerns and align the peer review process with other efforts to promote program redesign goals and strengthen teaching community.