Perception of the Educational Environment by Medical Students Undergoing a Curricular Transition in Kuwait

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure the students’ perceptions of the educational environment in a medical school undergoing curricular transition from a traditional to a problem-based learning (PBL) program in the academic year 2006–2007. Materials and Methods: The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to evaluate perception of the educational environment. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the factors related to educational environment perception that differ between students following a traditional curriculum to those following a PBL program at Kuwait University Medical School. Results: Mean DREEM score was 53%. When students moved from the traditional curriculum to the PBL system, Academic Self-Perception deteriorated, while Perception of Atmosphere improved. Academic Self-Perception deteriorated because conventional strategies of learning were perceived as no longer useful, while Perception of Atmosphere improved because of increased relevance of the studies. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that curricular changes require careful planning and thinking, with particular attention upon how they influence the educational climate. When new teaching strategies are introduced, new factors that may lead students to develop an adverse perception of their educational environment may be introduced as well. Identification of such factors can lead to an improved educational outcome.

Perception of Educational Environment Among Undergraduate Students in a Chiropractic Training Institution

“…Under such circumstances, establishing a realistic time schedule is essential. Similar findings have been detected by several other research groups 16,30,31,39,46 and they think that the issue is attributable to poor coordination, underresourcing, and complicated scheduling.…”

Opinions of Final Year and Interns about the EducationalEnviroment and Medical Curriculum At Jazan University

“…The only significant were item # 2 (table 2, and # 5 table # 3), which deal with adequacy and availability of library resources when students need them program has improve students' skills in communication respectively. This were obvious in the results of (15,21,22,24) The response about help and support for learning according to year, resources to support learning according to year (table 4 and Significant of the study materials and adequacy and availability of library resources, this was in agreements with the results of 16,17,19,21,22,23,24. Those demonstrated that graduated founded the needed material at the library each time they needed.…”

Students Experience Survey about the Quality of Learning at Faculty of Medicine, Jazan University

“…This is in parallel and strongly agreed with the finding of Nosair et al (16). But disagreed with Buhaimed et al (22), those concluded that, they should improve their educational environment in order to advance the quality of the delivered curriculum among their students.Students' perception of their educational environment was positive at both Rabigh and Jeddah campuses of King Abdulaziz University Imran et al (18). This totally agreed with our finding but disagreed with the study contacted by Al-Ayed et al (20) at King Saud University, this could be explained by the variety of programs and environment at KSU.…”