UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ABOUT CURRENT LECTURING PRACTICES

Current Lecturing Practices

Abstract

Objectives: To determine final year medical students’ perception about current lecturing practices and to explore students’ justifications for the acceptance of lectures or otherwise.
Study Design: A sequential mixed method.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted on 250 final year students of Fatima Jinnah Medical College Lahore, Pakistan from January 2013 to June 2013.
Participants and Methods: For the quantitative phase a survey questionnaire containing 15 close ended questions with categorical scale of “Yes” or “No” was distributed among the final year students selected through nonprobability convenience sampling. Out of 250 students, 195 students returned the questionnaire. For the qualitative phase, 26 final year students were selected by non-probability purposive sampling to participate in the focus group discussion with five open ended questions. Quantitative data was analyzed by calculating simple percentages of the categorical variables through SPSS version 18. Qualitative data analysis was done by identifying themes and patterns using content analysis. This data was triangulated with the data from the quantitative phase for the validation of results.
Results: A survey questionnaire was distributed amongst 250 students out of which 195 participants returned the proforma (response rate 78%). Five themes emerged through the focus group discussion. Twenty five students remarked that motivation to attend the lecture was largely external to prevent shortage of attendance. Twenty four students out of 26 were of the opinion that notes’ taking was most annoying about lectures. Attributes desired in a good lecturer as described by 25 students were focus on the subject, grasp on the language, pleasant personality, adequate energy level and variation accordingly and able to maintain discipline in the class. Regarding suggestions for improvement, almost 23 students suggested that audio visual aids / multimedia, white/black board should be used judiciously. Recapitulation of previous lecture and prior intimation of lecture topics to students should be ensured. Teacher student interaction can be enhanced by use of triggers e.g. case scenarios and real patients. Brainstorming and question /answer session should be encouraged. Concerns about environment were voiced by all 26 students, mainly related to inadequate seating arrangement, with stuffy classroom in summers due to non availability of air conditioners and unable to open doors and windows due to outside distractions.
Conclusion: Students perceived lectures as a potential tool for information transfer but with certain shortcomings. Although certain objections were raised, however, they endorsed that with relevant modifications, they are an important viable option of information transfer in the current prevailing situation.