How does social support influence interprofessional team efficacy and goal attainment among health professional students? A mediation analysis

• In Event: Collaboration, Teamwork, and Interprofessional Learning

Abstract

Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares healthcare students for collaborative practice, yet factors driving team performance remain unclear. This study investigated how social support influences team outcomes through sense of relatedness, guided by self-determination theory. Using structural equation modeling, 213 healthcare students from six disciplines in Hong Kong completed validated questionnaires measuring teacher support, peer support, and team outcomes. Results revealed that sense of relatedness fully mediated relationships between teacher support and both team efficacy and goal attainment, and completely mediated peer support and goal attainment while partially mediating peer support and team efficacy. Findings demonstrate that social support enhances team outcomes by fostering students’ sense of connection in IPE settings.

Authors

• Fraide A. Ganotice, University of Hong Kong

• Xiaoai Shen, University of Hong Kong

• John Ian Wilzon Tolentino Dizon, University of Hong Kong

• Helen Qing He, University of Hong Kong