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STUDENTS' APPROACHES TO LEARNING AND PERCEPTION OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: A COMPARISON BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING MEDICAL CURRICULA

Moutusem Aboonq, Abdulrahman Alquliti, Ihab abdulmonem, nissren alpuq, kfaf jalali, sahal arabi.

Background: Teaching and learning are fundamentally different between conventional and problem-based learning [PBL) curricula. There is a transformation in the College of Medicine, Taibah University, Saudi Arabia [CMTU) from the conventional to a PBL curriculum. Aim: To compare students’ approaches to learning and their perception of learning environment between conventional and PBL curricula at CMTU. Method: A cross sectional study was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire on a convenience sample from the third year undergraduate male and female medical students enrolled in both PBL and conventional curricula during the academic year 2015- 2016. Students' approaches to learning and perception of learning environment were measured using the “Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students [ASSIST)” and the “Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [DREEM)” instruments, respectively. Results: A total of 101 questionnaires [49 [48.5%) and 52 [51.5%) from traditional and PBL curricula, respectively) were analyzed. When compared to conventional curriculum students, PBL curriculum students showed a significantly higher overall DREEM [136.98 ±21.45 vs. 111.59 ±27.93; p <0.001) as well as all its subscales. Significantly higher ratings for strategic approach towards learning [60.77 ±9.12 vs. 56.35 ±9.93; p=0.02) and net learning orientation [deep approach + strategic approach - surface apathetic approach; 85.60 ±17.32 vs. 77.76 ±20.63; p=0.04) were seen in PBL curriculum students. Conclusion: The transformation to a PBL curriculum at CMTU was accompanied by a tilt in the learning style towards a desired deep and strategic learning styles and a definite improvement in the perception of learning environment among students.

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