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Enhancing health professional students' effective learning and collaborative practice requires a deep understanding of strategies for facilitating interprofessional learning. While faculty members and clinical preceptors are recognized as facilitators in interprofessional education (IPE), there is limited knowledge about the impact of student facilitators' engagement in IPE. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the perceptions and experiences of student facilitators in IPE. Thirteen student facilitators were recruited to lead an interprofessional learning program, and they were subsequently invited to participate in one-on-one interviews. An interview guide was developed to explore their motivations, expectations, engagement, effectiveness, and achievements in IPE facilitation. Thematic analysis was conducted using MAXQDA software to analyze the student facilitators' experiences and perceptions. Eight interviewees from various disciplines, including Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Speech and Hearing Sciences, and Social Work, took part in the study. The findings revealed that student facilitators highly valued their IPE facilitation experience, which aligned with their expectations and led to the creation of social networks, increased confidence, improved understanding of other professions, and the development of lifelong skills. Furthermore, the student facilitators demonstrated cognitive and social congruence by establishing a relaxed learning environment, displaying empathetic and supportive behaviors, and using inclusive language to engage IPE learners in group discussions. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the role of student facilitators in IPE, contributing to the evolving literature on IPE. A conceptual framework was developed to explore the entire facilitation experience, encompassing the motivations and expectations of student facilitators, their engagement and effectiveness, and the observed achievements. These findings can inform the development of peer teaching training in IPE and stimulate further research in identifying relevant facilitator competencies for optimal delivery of IPE.

Introduction: Students' peer relatedness is vital to their academic achievement and engagement. However, little is known about the mechanisms that can explain such a link in health professions education, especially in interprofessional education (IPE), where interprofessional socialization is promoted. To address the research gap in understanding the social dynamics embedded within IPE and their impact on crucial motivational outcomes, this study examines how peer relatedness (belonging) mediates the link between motivation (both intrinsic and extrinsic) and engagement in IPE., Methods: Data from 841 students enrolled in IPE from Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, Chinese Medicine, Pharmacy, Speech and Hearing Sciences, Clinical Psychology, and Food and Nutritional Science from a university in Hong Kong were used in this study. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were collected at baseline, while peer relatedness need satisfaction and engagement and disaffection in IPE were assessed after four weeks. We used a fully latent structural equation model to examine whether peer relatedness mediated the link between motivation and engagement in IPE., Results: Our results indicate that intrinsic motivation at baseline significantly increases engagement and reduces disaffection four weeks later, while extrinsic motivation shows the opposite effect. Crucially, the adaptive role of motivation to engagement was significantly mediated by relatedness from IPE teams. Specifically, the effect of students' motivation on their engagement/disaffection in IPE can be partially explained by their relatedness within IPE teams., Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of peer relatedness in IPE, highlighting its role in harnessing student motivation to foster student engagement. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the psychosocial mechanisms in IPE and highlight the value of collaborative learning environments in fulfilling students' need for relatedness, thereby fostering adaptive IPE learning outcomes. The implications and limitations of the study are also discussed.