DOI: 10.34894/rbciwz
title: Study 5: Impact of Native and Nonnative Study Partners on Medical Students’ Confidence and Collaborative Strategies in Second Language Medical Dutch Learning
title: Hao Yu: PhD Projectdata for study 5

description: &lt;B&gt;Summary of the Study:&lt;/B&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;
This study examined how pairing with &lt;B&gt;native Dutch speakers&lt;/B&gt; versus &lt;B&gt;nonnative peers&lt;/B&gt; influences international medical students’ &lt;B&gt;confidence, collaborative strategies&lt;/B&gt;, and &lt;B&gt;learning experiences&lt;/B&gt; in a Medical Dutch course, guided by &lt;B&gt;Kolb’s Experiential Learning Framework&lt;/B&gt;.&lt;BR&gt;
• &lt;B&gt;Design&lt;/B&gt;: Mixed-methods, pre–post quasi-experimental design.&lt;BR&gt;
• &lt;B&gt;Participants&lt;/B&gt;: 12 third-year international medical students at Maastricht University (B2 Dutch CEFR).&lt;BR&gt;
o &lt;B&gt;Mixed group&lt;/B&gt;: 4 students paired with highly proficient native Dutch partners.&lt;BR&gt;
o &lt;B&gt;Homogeneous group&lt;/B&gt;: 8 students paired with nonnative peers.&lt;BR&gt;
• &lt;B&gt;Procedure&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o 15-week program (weekly 2-hour medical Dutch lessons + 3 simulated patient consultations).&lt;BR&gt;
o Roles alternated between student-doctor and observer.&lt;BR&gt;
o Instruments:&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;I&gt;Need Satisfaction Competence Scale (NSCS)&lt;/I&gt; for pre- and post-test confidence.&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;I&gt;Semi-structured interviews&lt;/I&gt; (covering atmosphere, partner support, confidence, language learning).&lt;BR&gt;
 &lt;I&gt;Content, thematic, and network analysis&lt;/I&gt; to model relationships between themes .&lt;BR&gt;
&lt;B&gt;Key Findings&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
1. &lt;B&gt;Confidence (NSCS results)&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o Homogeneous nonnative group: significant confidence &lt;B&gt;gain&lt;/B&gt; (+11.3%, p=.03).&lt;BR&gt;
o Mixed group: slight &lt;B&gt;decrease&lt;/B&gt; in confidence (–10.7%, ns) .&lt;BR&gt;
o Decline in mixed group linked to &lt;B&gt;social comparison with native partners&lt;/B&gt;.&lt;BR&gt;
2. &lt;B&gt;Common themes (both groups)&lt;/B&gt;: Positive atmosphere, collaboration, confidence .&lt;BR&gt;
3. &lt;B&gt;Homogeneous group&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o Emphasized &lt;B&gt;interpersonal relationships&lt;/B&gt; and &lt;B&gt;feedback-seeking&lt;/B&gt;.&lt;BR&gt;
o Communication-focused collaborative strategies.&lt;BR&gt;
o Built &lt;B&gt;self-confidence&lt;/B&gt; through mutual support.&lt;BR&gt;
4. &lt;B&gt;Mixed group&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o Prioritized &lt;B&gt;language learning&lt;/B&gt; and &lt;B&gt;motivation&lt;/B&gt;.&lt;BR&gt;
o Reported &lt;B&gt;personal growth&lt;/B&gt; (reflection, self-improvement, analytical thinking).&lt;BR&gt;
o Confidence declined despite motivational benefits.&lt;BR&gt;
5. &lt;B&gt;Network analysis&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o Homogeneous group: &lt;I&gt;confidence&lt;/I&gt; central theme.&lt;BR&gt;
o Mixed group: &lt;I&gt;motivation&lt;/I&gt; central theme .&lt;BR&gt;
6. &lt;B&gt;Conclusion&lt;/B&gt;:&lt;BR&gt;
o Start courses with &lt;B&gt;homogeneous nonnative pairings&lt;/B&gt; to build confidence and collaboration.&lt;BR&gt;
o Introduce &lt;B&gt;native partners later&lt;/B&gt; to boost motivation and language proficiency .&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;