Perception of Current and Future Commitment of Medical Teachers to the Varied Roles of a Teacher: An Observational Study

Background Medical education is gradually moving towards self-directed learning, thus the roles of a teacher have assumed wider dimensions than before. The awareness of these roles among medical teachers has been studied in several countries, but no study on the awareness of these roles among Indian medical faculty has been found. The aim of this research was to assess the current and future commitment perception of the roles of a teacher among Indian medical faculty. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey regarding the 12 roles of a teacher, as defined by Harden and Crosby, was conducted among medical teachers in a tertiary-level hospital and medical college. The questionnaire consisted of three categories: importance in medical teaching, current commitment, and preferred future commitment to these roles, all measured on a five-point Likert scale. Results The highest mean scores were given to the roles of learning facilitator and on-the-job role model. In contrast, the lowest scores were designated to the production of study guides. Interestingly, the teachers’ current commitment to roles such as curriculum planner and course organizer was found to be low. A significant difference was observed between the three categories for the majority of the roles. Younger faculties showed significant difference among categories, while the senior professors did not show significant variations across the roles. Conclusion This study of Indian medical teachers emphasizes the decreased importance attributed to roles like curriculum planning and course organization. Further studies in other developing countries are essential to understand this issue more comprehensively.