A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS' PERCEPTION ON THE QUALITYOF THE TEACHING INTERMS OF THE HIDDEN CURRICULUM

Abstract

Background & Aim: The hidden curriculum concept is established on identifying what student absorbs or the outcome that may or may not be the part of the formal course of study. Thus, “hidden curriculum is described as “hidden” because it is usually unacknowledged or unexamined by students, educators, and the community. The hidden curriculum has also been described as the unofcial expectations, unintended learning outcomes, the construction of social relations” (1). Objective:The quality of teaching in terms of the hidden curriculum has been identied to be an important and effective component in the educational process. This is a qualitative study that investigates the awareness of hidden curriculum among undergraduate medical students and to correlate the relationship with students' perception and academic performances. Materials & Methods: This is the cross-sectional study and we used a semi-structured interview to examine the undergraduate medical students' perceptions about the quality of teaching in terms of hidden curriculum. The questionnaire developed based on Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) which is a reliable inventory that claims to be collective to undergraduate health professions education. Result:Among the 300 students, 76 (25.3%) were male and 224 (74.7) were female. The results showed that positive was greater than negative perceptions among the medical students about the quality of teaching in terms of the hidden curriculum. Conclusion:This qualitative study conducted among the medical students in a university revealed that the medical students are aware of the components of the hidden curriculum as a basic part of their education. The students enrolled in medical sciences courses in the university generally perceived positive feedback from the educational environment.