How pediatric educators know what to teach: the use of teaching scripts.

OBJECTIVE Expert clinical teachers in medicine use teaching scripts. The aim of this study was to determine whether pediatricians also use common components of teaching scripts. METHODS Seventy-three pediatric clerkship directors identified anticipated errors and teaching points in response to two short vignettes. The content analysis of responses, which we completed, was analyzed by rank and receipt of teaching awards. RESULTS Greater than 87% of respondents identified at least one of three anticipated learner errors and greater than 80% of respondents identified at least one of three to four teaching points. Teaching points related directly to anticipated errors in 60% of responses. Level of experience and receipt of teaching awards had no impact on response content. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with findings on the use of teaching scripts, pediatrics' educators achieved high congruence on anticipated errors and teaching points on two teaching vignettes. These findings support the hypothesis that developing teaching expertise is associated with other script components.