Supporting the Professional Identity of Medical Science Educators: Understanding Faculty Motivations for Quality Improvement in Teaching

Teaching and learning in the health sciences has experienced significant change in the last decade. Integrated curriculums, new instructional design approaches, educational technology, mobile, and self-directed learning are a few among many shifts that have left academicians unsure about their identity and effectiveness. Time is an increasingly precious commodity for maintaining, unlearning, and relearning the skills necessary to be effective in the current health sciences environment. Likewise, this modern age has new economic realities that also impact the investments that can be made in continually developing the essential asset of educator. This qualitative study examines the motivation of faculty of an interprofessional cohort focused on performance improvement in teaching. The study aims to inform administrators, educational leaders, faculty developers, and educators of the contributing factors that help support the efficacy and professional identity of teachers in higher education and whether internal motivation alone is sufficient for success. The study provides evidence of internal motivation as the pivotal determining factor for faculty decisions to pursue quality and performance improvement in teaching with student engagement, using technology in teaching, and presentation/facilitation skills primary drivers.