Perceptions of Veterinary Faculty Members Regarding Their Responsibility and Preparation to Teach Non-technical Competencies

Abstract

The development of non-technical competencies has become an important component of veterinary education. In this study, we determined faculty perspectives regarding their perceived involvement and ability in the cultivation of these competencies. A survey was administered to faculty members at five institutions. Respondents were asked whether the competency should be taught in their own courses and how prepared they felt to teach and evaluate the competency. Responses were analyzed by participant institution, gender, terminal degree and year, discipline, rank, and teaching experience. More than 90% of faculty respondents reported a personal responsibility to teach or cultivate critical thinking skills, communication skills, self-development skills, and ethical skills, with more than 85% also agreeing to a role in skills such as interpersonal skills, creativity, and self-management. The lowest percentages were seen for crisis and incident management (64%) and business skills (56%). Perceived preparedness to teach and evaluate these competencies paralleled the preceding findings, especially for the four consensus competencies and self-management. Faculty preparedness was lowest for business skills. Junior faculty were somewhat less likely than others to perceive a responsibility to teach non-technical competencies; however, instructors were more prepared to teach and evaluate business skills than were other faculty. Institutional trends were evident in faculty preparation. Although male faculty and non-DVM faculty tended to report a higher degree of preparedness, few differences reached statistical significance. Faculty perceptions of their responsibility to teach non-technical competencies vary by competency and parallel their perceived preparedness to teach and evaluate them.