Social Interactions Between Veterinary Medical Students and Their Teachers in an Ambulatory Clinic Setting in Finland

Abstract

In this study, the social interactions between students and their teachers in an ambulatory clinic setting were investigated using Bales's 1 interaction process analysis framework. Observational data were collected during five small-group sessions. The observations were quantified, and the behaviors of students and teachers were compared statistically. This study demonstrated that the interaction between students and their teachers was for the most part equal and could be characterized as “positively task oriented.” The study has implications for veterinary educators wishing to use social psychology frameworks to assess the quality of learning in small-group clinical setting.