ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Pedagogy in Practice: A Qualitative Analysis of Evidence-Based Teaching Methods Used by Graduate-Entry Near-Peer Medical Educators
Ross Raymond Davey 1,2
Ana L. S. Da Silva 1
Marcela Bezdickova 1
1. Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom
2. NHS Wales Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Abercynon, United Kingdom
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract
Introduction: Near-peer teaching (NPT) has become a fundamental component of modern medical education, theoretically supported by principles of social and cognitive congruence. While the benefits for both learners and educators are well-documented, the actual pedagogical craft including the specific teaching strategies and philosophies employed by Near-Peer Educators (NPEs) remains largely unexamined. This study aims to explore this pedagogical perspective within a cohort of Graduate-Entry Medicine (GEM) students delivering foundational anatomy and physiology teaching. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research design utilising reflexive thematic analysis of retrospective written reflective accounts. Participants were GEM students employed as Senior Teaching Assistants at Swansea University Medical School. Over two academic cohorts (2022/23 and 2023/24), NPEs completed a brief 'Clinical Educators Programme' and submitted reflective essays on their teaching experiences. A total of 82 essays were analysed to identify emergent themes regarding the NPEs' teaching practices. Results: NPEs engaged in a sophisticated pedagogical craft characterised by two central, interconnected themes. They employed a Cognitive Toolkit wherein they deliberately applied evidence-based cognitive science principles such as retrieval practice, dual coding, and concrete examples to manage cognitive load. A second theme of the development of a Humanistic Framework to foster a supportive learning environment was also identified. This included the active establishment of psychological safety, the use of universal design, and adaptive teaching strategies to prioritize learner wellbeing and inclusivity. Discussion: The findings characterise GEM NPEs as reflective practitioners who move beyond intuitive teaching to blend the science of learning with a deeply relational, humanistic approach. The use of the Cognitive Toolkit demonstrates the efficacy of brief formal pedagogical training, while the Humanistic Framework suggests that NPEs actively construct social congruence rather than relying solely on inherent peer traits. Furthermore, the latter mirrors the values of relationship-centred clinical care. We conclude that NPE training should evolve from instruction in techniques to the development
Summary
Keywords
clinical educators, Education training and development, Graduate entry medicine, Near-peer education, pedagogy, Qualitative, Teacher techniques, Thematic analysis
Received
30 November 2025
Accepted
13 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Davey, Da Silva and Bezdickova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Ross Raymond Davey
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.