2. Peggy Hsieh, MEd, PhD

Peggy Hsieh, MEd, PhD

Professor
Assistant Dean for Educator Development
Office of Educational Programs
McGovern Medical School
UTHealth Houston

Email:  [email protected]
Phone:  713-500-7482

Educational Philosophy

My work is grounded in the goal of supporting faculty and residents to become effective, reflective educators. As Assistant Dean for Educator Development, I view my role as leading through service by creating the conditions, resources, and guidance that enable faculty to grow and succeed in their educational roles. Drawing on my training in educational psychology, I translate learning theory into practical, efficient teaching strategies that can be applied across any learning environment.

My philosophy is rooted in a constructivist framework, where learning occurs through active engagement and shared meaning making. In my work with faculty, I emphasize approaches that foster interaction, discussion, and application, helping educators move beyond content delivery toward more learner centered teaching. I focus on equipping educators with strategies that are both effective and feasible within the realities of their professional responsibilities.

A central focus of my approach is helping educators address the gap between perceived and actual understanding. I promote the use of structured opportunities for application, feedback, and discussion such as polling, case based learning, and guided questioning to assess understanding in real time and adapt teaching accordingly. These strategies not only enhance learner engagement but also strengthen teaching effectiveness.

I also emphasize reflection as a core component of continuous improvement. I encourage educators to use feedback, evaluation data, and self assessment to refine their teaching, and I model this process in my own work through ongoing program evaluation and iteration.

Ultimately, I see educational development as a means of strengthening the broader learning environment. By supporting faculty in building practical, evidence informed teaching practices, I aim to foster a culture where teaching is intentional, efficient, and continuously improving.

Areas of Expertise and Interests

  • Application of educational psychology theories to teaching practices
  • Synthesizing ideas and translating it into scholarly projects
  • Observation of teaching with targeted, meaningful feedback for educator development

My mission is to:

  • Support educators in building confidence in their teaching
  • Develop educators’ skills for effective teaching
  • Prepare residents for careers in academia
  • Foster a culture of life-long learning and excellence in teaching
  • Advance faculty development in educational scholarship

Past and Current Educational Activities:

  • Co-director of Health Educators Fellowship Program (HEFP)
  • Founder and Director of Physician Educators Certificate Program (PECP)
  • Co-director of Medical Education Scholarly Concentration

Honors/Awards

Graduate of the Leadership Education and Development Certificate Program, AAMC Southern  Group on Educational Affairs, April 2017.

The Outstanding Presentation Award for Graduate Medical Education at the Southern Group of Academic Affairs meeting in April 2019.

Member of the Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education, February 2026.