Effectiveness of COACH2COACH and R2C2 (Relationship, Reaction, Content, Coaching) Model in Improving Peer-feedback for students’ professional development

Abstract

Background & Objective: Medical students seldom receive meaningful feedback; therefore, they lack professional development skills regarding peer feedback. Although several peer feedback training interventions exist, comparative evidence demonstrating the superiority of one model over another is limited. The objective of our study was to compare two interventions, Coach2coach and R2C2 (relationship, reaction, content, coaching), for improving peer feedback for students’ professional development.

Methodology: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Armed Forces Institute of Dentistry in 2022. The Coach2coach and R2C2 models were used for teaching peer feedback skills to final year dental students in a two-group separate sample pre-posttest design. Mini PAT was used to compare the pre-post workshop results of the Coach2coach and R2C2 models. The Kirkpatrick model guided intervention evaluation, and Wilcoxon test was used to measure the effectiveness of the Coach2coach and R2C2 models.

Results: The Coach2coach model (n = 27) showed a significant change in all feedback items with significant values below 0.05 and a 60% learning gain. The R2C2 model (n = 25) also improved feedback skills, but not for items three and eight of mini-PAT, which had significant values above 0.05 with an overall learning gain of 35%. Hence, the Coach2coach model was more effective than R2C2 model in enhancing peer feedback skills.

Conclusions: Both models increased students’ peer feedback abilities, allowing them to grow professionally; however, Coach2coach model was deemed more efficient.