‘It’s going to change the way we train’: Qualitative evaluation of a transformative faculty development workshop

INTRODUCTION: Relatively little is known about faculty development (FD) activities that help participants achieve sustainable behavioral change. This qualitative study evaluated the medium- to long-term impact of a FD workshop informed by transformative learning (TL) theory. It aimed to discover which aspects of FD prompted healthcare professionals (HPs) to adopt effective teaching and learning practices. METHODS: Seventeen participants were interviewed between January and July 2020, 7 to 30 months after the workshop. Purposeful sampling strategies were used to collect data and analysis was performed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: perspectival shift in educational practice, re-affirmation of current practices, becoming an educator, and valuing FD that accommodates HPs’ multiple communities of practice (CoPs). Workshop activities foregrounding critical discourse and reflection helped participants gain new knowledge and deeper understanding of education. TL was likely when participants already identified as an educator in addition to their HP identity. Additionally, a workplace CoP determined the type and level of support affecting HPs’ development as educators. DISCUSSION: Aspects of FD that prompted HPs to adopt effective teaching and learning practices included initiatives that catalyzed critical discourse and reflection. Readiness for TL is promoted when HPs have a strong educator identity because of workplace educator CoPs. Future research could explore effecting sustainable post-workshop behavioral change in HPs through the strengthening of workplace educator CoPs. To do this, institutions could send co-located HPs from different disciplines to the same FD program. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version of this article (10.1007/s40037-021-00687-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.