Purpose
Unmet learner expectations for facilitator roles and responsibilities in a problem-based learning (PBL) scenario could lead to implementation challenges and lack of student buy-in. Some studies have investigated expectations for group roles, yet few have explored how student perspectives of facilitators align with the stated goals of facilitation. This knowledge can drive facilitator development and better framing of PBL activities to increase student buy-in. We compare student perspectives of “effective” and “ineffective” facilitators with constructivist ideals for PBL facilitators, and offer several ways to improve expectations for group dynamics.

Methods
We interviewed 10 second-year medical students, transcribed interviews verbatim, and used constant comparative analysis to uncover emergent themes. Interrater reliability was >90%. Interview questions included “Name 3 characteristics of an effective [PBL] facilitator” and “name one characteristic of an ineffective [PBL] facilitator.” We report the percent of students mentioning each emergent theme.

Results
The emergent themes for “effective” facilitators were 1. Clinically Knowledgeable (n=70, 70%), 2. Facilitative (n=8, 80%), 3. Emotionally Supportive (n=6, 60%), and 4. Serious Approach (n=6, 60%). The emergent themes for “ineffective” facilitators included 1. Lack of Consistency (n=2, 20%), 2. Poor Guidance (n=8, 80%), and 3. Not Engaged (n=3, 30%).

Conclusions
Students frequently reported appreciating facilitators with constructivist tendencies, such as providing space for students to work through ideas (facilitative), being encouraging without guiding conversations (emotionally supportive), and taking their roles seriously (serious approach). Students still preferred a clinician facilitator, suggesting that despite identifying constructivist behaviors, students generally maintain respect for authority. Our full project identifies ways to leverage expectations for students and facilitators.