A 26-year national continuing professional development programme in functional experimentation: a longitudinal programme evaluation

A 26-year national continuing professional development programme in functional experimentation: a longitudinal programme evaluation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article A 26-year national continuing professional development programme in functional experimentation: a longitudinal programme evaluation Mi Su, Shiping Liao, zhangyu He, Fangju Yang, Wu Huang, Yufang Wang This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8714482/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Functional experimentation is a core component of basic medical education, yet sustaining high-quality laboratory teaching requires ongoing faculty development in the context of curricular integration, technological change and increasing educational demands. Evidence on long-term, large-scale continuing professional development (CPD) programmes for laboratory-based medical education remains limited. Methods We conducted a longitudinal descriptive programme evaluation of a national CPD programme in functional experimentation implemented continuously over a 26-year period (1999–2024). Programme design, implementation and outcomes were analysed using administrative records, post-training questionnaires and descriptive follow-up information from participating institutions. The evaluation focused on faculty development, curriculum reform and programme adaptability. Results Over 26 consecutive years, the programme trained more than 2,000 faculty members from over 200 medical institutions across China. Participants consistently reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived improvements in teaching confidence, understanding of integrated experimentation and experimental teaching design capacity. Institutions represented by programme alumni described increased adoption of integrated and inquiry-based experimental teaching approaches combining animal experiments, human functional experiments and virtual simulation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme adapted rapidly to online and hybrid delivery, supporting continuity of faculty development and laboratory teaching. Conclusions This 26-year national CPD programme provides descriptive evidence that sustained, structured faculty development may support long-term reform and resilience in laboratory-based medical education. The findings highlight the potential value of longitudinal CPD initiatives in strengthening faculty capacity and advancing integrated experimental teaching within competency-oriented medical curricula. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryFile1.PosttrainingquestionnaireusedinthenationalCPDprogramme.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers invited by journal 24 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 02 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 04 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8714482","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":612224105,"identity":"05aae060-c83c-4122-866d-6f6b31907a1e","order_by":0,"name":"Mi Su","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"West China School of Basic Medical Sciences \u0026 Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mi","middleName":"","lastName":"Su","suffix":""},{"id":612224108,"identity":"27201f96-1865-4518-bfd7-1bb02bce7aed","order_by":1,"name":"Shiping Liao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"West China School 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evaluation\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC 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Evidence on long-term, large-scale continuing professional development (CPD) programmes for laboratory-based medical education remains limited.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMethods\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe conducted a longitudinal descriptive programme evaluation of a national CPD programme in functional experimentation implemented continuously over a 26-year period (1999–2024). Programme design, implementation and outcomes were analysed using administrative records, post-training questionnaires and descriptive follow-up information from participating institutions. The evaluation focused on faculty development, curriculum reform and programme adaptability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResults\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver 26 consecutive years, the programme trained more than 2,000 faculty members from over 200 medical institutions across China. Participants consistently reported high levels of satisfaction and perceived improvements in teaching confidence, understanding of integrated experimentation and experimental teaching design capacity. Institutions represented by programme alumni described increased adoption of integrated and inquiry-based experimental teaching approaches combining animal experiments, human functional experiments and virtual simulation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme adapted rapidly to online and hybrid delivery, supporting continuity of faculty development and laboratory teaching.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConclusions\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis 26-year national CPD programme provides descriptive evidence that sustained, structured faculty development may support long-term reform and resilience in laboratory-based medical education. The findings highlight the potential value of longitudinal CPD initiatives in strengthening faculty capacity and advancing integrated experimental teaching within competency-oriented medical curricula.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"A 26-year national continuing professional development programme in functional experimentation: a longitudinal programme evaluation","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-26 12:13:28","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8714482/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-24T20:08:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-02T19:00:24+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-05T04:24:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-02-04T21:58:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Medical Education","date":"2026-02-04T21:50:47+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-medical-education","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"meed","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Medical Education](http://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/meed/default.aspx","title":"BMC Medical Education","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"10a752eb-1432-4123-8481-366cc3388367","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 26th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-26T12:13:28+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-26 12:13:28","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8714482","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8714482","identity":"rs-8714482","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}