Abstract
BACKGROUND: Attending physicians exhibit varied patterns in enacting educational roles, but no standardized framework or measurement tools currently exist to evaluate these roles and associated behaviors. This study aimed to create an analytical framework and develop an instrument to measure the educational role enactment of attending physicians through a questionnaire survey and detailed descriptions of educational behaviors. METHODS: A 15-item questionnaire was designed based on a literature review to examine the enactment of three educational roles within the role set of attending physicians. Experts assessed its content validity, while feasibility and readability were tested in a pilot study involving 100 attending physicians from seven teaching hospitals and medical centers in Kaohsiung City. In the formal study, purposive sampling from the same institutions yielded 364 valid responses, achieving a response rate of 91%. Data analysis included item analysis, factor analysis, and evaluation of internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: All questionnaire items related to the enactment of attending physicians' educational roles as clinical teachers met the retention criteria, including composite reliability (CR) and homogeneity. Factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure with acceptable reliability, representing three educational roles within the role set: "Clinical Teaching," "Supportive Counseling," and "Job Supervision." CONCLUSION: The Teaching Hospitals Attending Physician Educational Role Enactment Scale is a reliable and comprehensive tool for assessing the educational roles enacted by attending physicians in the teaching hospital. It encompasses a range of educational roles and aligns with diverse teaching behaviors, offering a self-evaluation tool supported by an analytical framework for clinical teaching practices.