Yin Xin, Wang Luo, Li Qiu, Han Jiachen, Zhou Fang, Wang Shuo
School of Nursing, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China.
BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jul 12;25(1):1043. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07644-3.
Higher medical education has experienced significant growth in recent years. Curriculum development has consistently been the focus of educators’ investigation, as it is one of the most critical components of educational reform. High-quality curriculum development must be founded on educators’ knowledge and experience and supported by scientific and standardized theoretical models.
To integrate a comprehensive development framework based on the key steps and components of theoretical models that guide undergraduate medical curriculum development, and to summarize the issues that need attention in curriculum development.
Adheres to the WHITTEMORE and KNAFL frameworks. Eight databases were queried: PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP. The inclusion criteria encompassed research that employed a theoretical model to inform the development of an undergraduate medical curriculum, detailed the development process, and was published in English or Chinese. Two researchers independently screened the titles, abstracts, and entire texts. The methodological quality of empirical studies was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT).
This review encompassed 18 articles, comprising three qualitative studies, six quantitative studies, and nine mixed-methods studies. Ten theoretical models that may guide curriculum development are mentioned in the 18 articles. We have integrated them into a comprehensive theoretical framework comprising four essential steps: situational analysis of curriculum development, delineation of curriculum objectives, design of curriculum material, and implementation and assessment of the curriculum. Of the 13 studies examining course delivery effectiveness, prevalent evaluation methods comprised quantitative assessments and qualitative feedback. The qualitative feedback revealed that inadequate course planning, a scarcity of offline practical activities, and unsuitable teaching material selection were the primary factors influencing course satisfaction.
This review provides an overview of the theoretical models that guide medical curriculum development and their essential components, thereby establishing a comprehensive curriculum development framework and summarizing issues that require attention during curriculum development. The findings provide evidence-based guidance for model selection, methodological evaluation, and curriculum improvement.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-025-07644-3.
近年来，高等医学教育经历了显著发展。课程开发一直是教育工作者研究的重点，因为它是教育改革的关键组成部分之一。高质量的课程开发必须建立在教育工作者的知识和经验基础上，并得到科学规范的理论模型的支持。
整合基于指导本科医学课程开发的理论模型的关键步骤和组成部分的综合开发框架，并总结课程开发中需要注意的问题。
遵循WHITTEMORE和KNAFL框架。查询了八个数据库：PubMed、Embase、Cochrane图书馆、科学网、CINAHL、中国知网、万方和维普。纳入标准包括采用理论模型为本科医学课程开发提供信息、详细描述开发过程且以英文或中文发表的研究。两名研究人员独立筛选标题、摘要和全文。使用混合方法评估工具（MMAT）评估实证研究的方法学质量。
本综述纳入了18篇文章，包括三项定性研究、六项定量研究和九项混合方法研究。这18篇文章中提到了十种可能指导课程开发的理论模型。我们将它们整合到一个包含四个基本步骤的综合理论框架中：课程开发的情境分析、课程目标的界定、课程材料的设计以及课程的实施与评估。在13项考察课程交付效果的研究中，普遍的评估方法包括定量评估和定性反馈。定性反馈显示，课程规划不足、线下实践活动匮乏以及教材选择不当是影响课程满意度的主要因素。
本综述概述了指导医学课程开发的理论模型及其基本组成部分，从而建立了一个综合课程开发框架，并总结了课程开发过程中需要注意的问题。研究结果为模型选择、方法学评估和课程改进提供了循证指导。
在线版本包含可在10.1186/s12909-025-07644-3获取的补充材料。
