Improving educational environment in medical colleges through transactional analysis practice of teachers

CONTEXT  A FAIMER (Foundation for Advancement in International Medical Education and Research) fellow organized a comprehensive faculty development program to improve faculty awareness resulting in changed teaching practices and better teacher student relationships using Transactional Analysis (TA). Practicing TA tools help development of 'awareness' about intrapersonal and interpersonal processes. OBJECTIVES To improve self-awareness among medical educators.To bring about self-directed change in practices among medical educators.To assess usefulness of TA tools for the same. METHODS  An experienced trainer conducted a basic course (12 hours) in TA for faculty members. The PAC model of personality structure, functional fluency model of personal functioning, stroke theory on motivation, passivity and script theories of adult functional styles were taught experientially with examples from the Medical Education Scenario. Self-reported improvement in awareness and changes in practices were assessed immediately after, at three months, and one year after training. FINDINGS  The mean improvement in self-'awareness' is 13.3% (95% C.I 9.3-17.2) among nineteen participants. This persists one year after training. Changes in practices within a year include, collecting feedback, new teaching styles and better relationship with students. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS  These findings demonstrate sustainable and measurable improvement in self-awareness by practice of TA tools. Improvement in self-'awareness' of faculty resulted in self-directed changes in teaching practices. Medical faculty has judged the TA tools effective for improving self-awareness leading to self-directed changes.