Development of an instrument (the COLT) to measure conceptions on learning and teaching of teachers, in student-centred medical education

Background: Conceptions of medical teachers regarding learning and teaching affect their teaching practice. Therefore conceptions should be addressed in faculty development.Aim: To facilitate this, we constructed the Conceptions Of Learning and Teaching (COLT) instrument.Method: The COLT was adapted based on experts’ comments during a meeting and interviews, followed by a Delphi procedure (Part I). It was administered to teachers from two Dutch medical schools with different traditions in student-centred education (Part II; N = 646). The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis.Results: 324 Teachers (50.2%) completed the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis did not confirm the underlying theoretical model, but an alternative model demonstrated a good fit. This led to an instrument with eighteen items reflecting three underlying factors: ‘teacher centredness’, ‘appreciation of active learning’, and ‘orientation to professional practice’. We found significant dif...