Clinical Education Research Group

The Clinical Education Research Group (CERG) is aligned to the scope of the NIHR Incubator for Clinical Education Research.

“Clinical education research is research which has the understanding or evaluation of any aspect of clinical education as a primary focus.”

Our aim is to provide high quality research in response to practical challenges, where findings can inform practice.

We are a multi-professional group of researchers with expertise in education research across medicine, nursing and allied health professions. Our aim is to provide and support high quality research in response to important and practical challenges, with our findings informing change in practice.

Our research can contribute to the health needs of society by enhancing the education, training and development of all health professionals (undergraduate and postgraduate) and the organisations within which they work and learn. We can achieve this contribution through our local, national and international networks and collaborators.

Clinical education research also often includes the design and implementation of education interventions in addition to conducting research and evaluation studies. Our expertise can add value to many clinical research projects in which there is a health professional training component.

We are passionate about developing researchers who are new to clinical education research and collaborating with educators, trainers and clinicians across the health professions.

An essential aspect of our practical focus is on the development of educational scholarship in which the challenges of day to day teaching and learning prompt further inquiry (with evaluation and research), which can then inform change in practice (evidence-based teaching and learning).

Research in Education Innovation and Scholarship

Led by Professor John Sandars, Professor Jacqueline Leigh, and Professor Debbie Roberts

Understanding and developing the professional practice of healthcare professionals using theoretical perspectives, especially self-regulated learning.

Academic

Hajiabadi ZZ, Gandomkar R, Sohrabpour AA, Sandars J (2023) Developing low-achieving medical students’ self-regulated learning using a combined learning diary and explicit training intervention, Medical Teacher DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2022.2152664

Gandomkar R, Yazdani K, Fata L, Mehrdad R, Mirzazadeh A, Jalili M, Sandars J
(2020) Using multiple self-regulated learning measures to understand medical students’ biomedical science learning. Medical Education, DOI:10.1111/medu.14079

Prescribing

Green W, Shahzad MW, Wood S, Martinez Martinez M, Baines A, Navid A, Jay R, Whysall Z, Sandars J, Patel R (2020) Improving junior doctor medicine prescribing and patient safety: An intervention using personalised, structured, video‐enhanced feedback and deliberate practice. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. DOI: /10.1111/bcp.14325

Patel R, Green W, Shahzad MW, Church H, Sandars J (2020). Using a self-regulated learning-enhanced video feedback educational intervention to improve junior doctor prescribing. Medical Teacher. DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2020.1748183

Clinical Skills

Cecilio-Fernandes D, Medina-Ramírez RI, Sandars J, Costa MJ (2023) Self-regulated learning processes across different physiotherapy clinical procedural skills and time intervals: A SRL microanalysis study, Medical Teacher, DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2023.2198096

Medina-Ramírez RI, Álamo-Arce DD, Rodriguez-Castro F, Cecilio-Fernandes D, Sandars J, Costa MJ (2020). Self-regulated learning microanalysis for the study of the performance of clinical examinations by physiotherapy students. BMC medical education. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-020-02149-7

Clinical performance in challenging situations

Sandars J, Jenkins L, Church H, Patel R, Rumbold J, Maden M, Patel M, Henshaw K, Brown J (2022) Applying sport psychology in health professions education: A systematic review of performance mental skills training. Medical Teacher. DOI: 10.1080/0142159X.2021.1966403

Church, H.R., Murdoch-Eaton, D. & Sandars, J. Under- and post-graduate training to manage the acutely unwell patient: a scoping review. BMC Medical Education, DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04119-1

Student/Learner

Knight, K. H., Wright, K., Whaley, V., Roberts, D., Monks, R., Borwell, J., Garrow, A., Leigh, J., Kenny, A. & Bailey-McHale, R., 11 May 2023, Learning the rules of the game: how health and social care students learn to learn, In: British Journal of Nursing. 32, 9, p. 404-406

LEIGH, J., Borwell, J., Garrow, A., Kenny, A., Knight, K., MONKS, ROB., Roberts, D., Whaley, V. & Wright, K., (2022) Has the pandemic response entrenched a pathogenic emphasis in education? In: British Journal of Nursing. 31, 20, p. 1066-1067 2 p., 20. doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2022.31.20.1066

How many practice hours are required to become a registered nurse? Garrow, A., Roberts, D., Kenny, A., LEIGH, JACQUELINE., Borwell, J., Knight, K., Whaley, V., MONKS, ROB. & Wright, K. M., 12 Oct 2022, In: British Journal of Nursing. 31, 17, p. 908 2 p., 17.https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2022.31.17.908

Darvill, A., Stephens, M. & Leigh, JA., 2 Dec 2021, 2nd ed. Transition to nursing practice : from student to registered nurse, London , Sage Publications.

Leigh, JA. & Warburton, T., 2 Dec 2021, Learning theory for personal and professional development, p. 99-118. Darvill, A., Stephens, M. & Leigh, JA., 2 Dec 2021, 2nd ed. Transition to nursing practice : from student to registered nurse, London , Sage Publications

Leigh, JA. & Chadwick, AL., 2 Dec 2021, Identifying and developing clinical leadership in relation to transition, p. 119-135 17. In Darvill, A., Stephens, M. & Leigh, JA., 2 Dec 2021, 2nd ed. Transition to nursing practice : from student to registered nurse, London , Sage Publications

Stephens, M., Vasilica, CM., Davis, D., Darvill, A., Leigh, JA. & Priestley, C., 2 Dec 2021, Contemporary issues and trends in nursing, p. 194-216 23. In Darvill, A., Stephens, M. & Leigh, JA., 2 Dec 2021, 2nd ed. Transition to nursing practice : from student to registered nurse, London , Sage Publications

Gloster, AS. & Leigh, JA., 11 Feb 2021, The knowledge and skills required of advanced level practitioners for accreditation and safe practice In: British Journal of Nursing. 30, 3, p. 168-171 4

Understanding and supporting the development of health professional educators
Carvalho ER, Sandars J, Cecilio-Fernandes D. (2023) Lessons learned from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil on primary-care workplace learning groups. Journal of Research in Nursing. DOI: 10.1177/17449871231159596

Salajegheh M, Sandars J, Norouzi A, Mirzazadeh A, Gandomkar R (2020). Psychometric evaluation of a questionnaire to evaluate organizational capacity development for faculty development programs. Journal of Education and Health Promotion. DOI: 0.4103/jehp.jehp_292_20

Salajegheh, M., Gandomkar, R., Mirzazadeh, A. Sandars J. (2020) Identification of capacity development indicators for faculty development programs: A nominal group technique study. BMC Medical Education DOI: 10.1186/s12909-020-02068-7

Valuing the role of educators in practice : Greater Manchester’s framework Williams, C., Leigh, JA., Burns, D., Halse, J., Haydri, S., Collins, S., Mcmanus, E., Grundy, J., Sutcliffe, K., Bowler, H. & Le Blanc, C., 10 Feb 2022, In: British Journal of Nursing. 31, 3, p. 174-175 2 p.

Leigh, JA. & Roberts, D. (eds.). (2021) Supervising and assessing student nurses and midwives in clinical practice: a practical guide, London, Lantern Publishing Limited,

Leigh, JA., (2021) The future of practice learning, p. 61-88 In Supervising and assessing student nurses and midwives in clinical practice : a practical guide. Leigh, JA. & Roberts, D. (eds.). Lantern Publishing Limited

Williams, C., Leigh, J., Burns, D., Halse, J., Haydri, S., Collins, S., McManus, E., Grundy, J., Sutcliffe, K., Bowler, H., Asuru, S. & Le Blanc, C., (2022) Valuing the role of educators in practice: Greater Manchester’s framework (British Journal of Nursing, 31:3 (174-175) DOI: 10.12968/bjon.2022.31.3.174)

Leigh, JA., Anderson, K., Medcalf, A., Surtees, A. & Sutton, W., 28 Feb 2021, Using coaching conversations and coaching models to promote effective supervision and assessment. In:Supervising and assessing student nurses and midwives in clinical practice: a practical guide. Leigh, JA. & Roberts, D. (eds.). Lantern Publishing Limited, p. 61-88 28 p.

Borwell, J. & Leigh, JA., 14 Oct 2021, Addressing the practice learning and placement capacity conundrum, British Journal of Nursing. 30, 18, p. 1093 doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.18.1093

O’Carroll, V., Owens, M., Sy, M., El-Awaisi, A., Xyrichis, A., Leigh, JA., Nagraj, S., Huber, M., Hutchings, M. & McFadyen, A., 4 May 2021, Top tips for interprofessional education and collaborative practice research : a guide for students and early career researchers In: Journal of Interprofessional Care. 35, 3, p. 328-333 6 doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2020.1777092

Applied Research and Evaluation

Led by Professor Jeremy Brown and Professor Axel Kaehne

Useful ‘how to’ resources

The NIHR Incubator for Clinical Education Research has produced a series of 4 open access practical articles in ‘The Clinical Teacher’ on:

View the NIHR Incubator for Clinical Education web page