Arcalyd Rose Ramos Cayaban, Lecturer at the College of Nursing, received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the NU–ICHPE 2026: 1st International Higher Education Conference on Health Professions Education, held in February 2026 at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The international conference brought together educators, clinicians and researchers committed to advancing innovation in health professions education. The award recognises the scholarly merit of Cayaban’s research and underscores the growing importance of evidence-based teaching strategies in strengthening student learning and professional competence within nursing education.
Her poster explored peer learning (peer teaching) as an effective pedagogical strategy in nursing programmes. Peer learning encourages deeper cognitive processing, enhances communication skills and supports academic achievement by engaging students in teaching and learning collaboratively. In clinical contexts, this approach enables nursing students to share patient-care experiences, exchange constructive feedback and engage in reflective discussions, processes that nurture critical thinking and clinical reasoning.
The study examined nursing students enrolled in a selected course from Spring 2024 to Spring 2025. Approximately 70% of participants were from the regular programme, while 30% were bridging students. Academic performance was notably strong, with 79–85% attaining grades between B– and B+. Although participation levels varied, around 22% of students attended more than ten peer-teaching sessions, reflecting a core group of highly engaged learners. Overall involvement was moderate, yet satisfaction levels were high, indicating that most students valued peer learning as a meaningful and beneficial educational experience.
Reflecting on her participation in the conference, Cayaban noted that engaging with multidisciplinary health professionals expanded her perspective on the wider applicability of peer teaching beyond nursing to disciplines such as medicine and pharmacy. She added that the recognition strengthens her commitment to advancing research in nursing education and leadership, particularly studies that directly enhance student learning outcomes and teaching effectiveness.
Offering advice to students and novice researchers, Cayaban emphasised the importance of pursuing research grounded in authentic passion and clear educational purpose. Meaningful scholarship, she observed, begins with a genuine desire to improve learning, professional practice and patient care. When research is driven by advocacy for students and evidence-based educational development, it not only enriches academic discourse but also leaves a lasting impact on health professions education.