Understanding content decision-making: a qualitative phenomenological study of Texas undergraduate anatomy and anatomy and physiology instructors

Anatomy and anatomy and physiology (A&P) courses are crucial to prepare quality health care professionals. Considerable research has focused on graduate-level anatomy education, with fewer studies examining course content development and topic emphasis in undergraduate anatomy and A&P courses. This study addresses this population gap in the anatomy and A&P education literature. Eight anatomy and A&P instructors with and without clinical health care experience at Texas higher education institutions were asked questions to determine the extent to which they considered student, course, instructor, and institutional factors when determining essential course content. Participants were also asked to share the topics they perceived as most important in their anatomy or A&P courses. Thematic analysis of interview and focus group transcripts revealed that students’ educational and career preparation was the most common code among the various potential factors affecting instructors’ content and topic emphasis decisions. Moreover, many participants described the role of collaborating with colleagues when deciding on course content to emphasize or revise. Time constraints and resource availability were the most common codes associated with instructors at 2- and 4-yr institutions, respectively. Many instructors described the concept of homeostasis and the emphasis on clinical relevance of anatomical and physiological systems as being the most important topics in their courses. This backward design curriculum development approach is reflected in the frequent finding that participants consider their learners’ future needs and emphasize clinically relevant concepts. Future studies should explore how collaboration among colleagues affects students’ future academic performance, course content consistency, and career preparedness.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study was a qualitative evaluation of the factors influencing how undergraduate anatomy and anatomy and physiology (A&P) instructors choose and prioritize content taught to students.