ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES TOWARDS THE CREDIT-MODULE SYSTEM AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

Background: The Credit-Module System (CMS) has been applied in various countries in order to increase students’ independence and all-round competence. Based on CMS, students can take courses of their choice, learn at their own pace, and take additional courses. Students are the center of this educational system. Thus, undergraduate students’ attitudes and practices towards this system are critical in determining their academic achievement and quality of education. Objectives: to investigate the attitudes and practices of undergraduate students towards CMS. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational design was used. The sample size comprised 242 undergraduate students at Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy, including nursing, midwifery, medical laboratory technology, and medical imaging technology, who have experienced CMS for at least 1 year. Students’ attitudes and practices regarding CMS were examined using a 5-likert questionnaire including 20 items for attitudes and 37 for practices. Results: 222 (91.7%) students had positive attitudes towards CMS, with the mean score of the attitude was 79.4+13.5/100. 91.7% of students had positive attitudes towards the advantages of the CMS, and 89.7% of students were willing to participate in learning activities of the CMS. In practice, students also showed a good level (mean=147.4+17.6/185). 81.8% and 18.2% of students were at a good and moderate level of practice, respectively. Among subscales of practice, students’ practices with examination and practicum activities had the highest scores. Meanwhile, practices with theory classes were the lowest. There was a significantly positive association between students’ attitudes and practices of CMS. Conclusions: Most undergraduate students had positive attitudes towards CMS. Despite showcasing a generally good level of practice among student respondents, practices with theory classes should be enhanced. Support and counseling services are recommended to improve students’ positive attitudes and good practices towards CMS.