Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure Score Research Articles

Student's perception: A core indicator in building academia in today's world

Introduction: The perception of students considering their educational environment is a useful source to modify or to improve the quality of education. Whereas the education is a dynamic process, researches about this topic are important to improve education methods and strategies. Equally essential is to know opinion of the students about teachers and educational environment. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess students' perceptions of educational environment using Dundee ready education environment measure (DREEM) among four different health science courses. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted on 398 students enrolled in undergraduate health science programs offered at a multispecialty university in Haryana, whose courses consisted of traditional classes and clinical fieldwork. This comprised of students from bachelor degrees in Dental Sciences, Physiotherapy, Nursing, and Allied health sciences. The survey was conducted using a standardized self-report questionnaire DREEM, which is 50-item, close-ended, and scored on 5-point Likert scale. Results: The mean total DREEM score was 77.2 ± 13.07, which according to the interpretation guide was seen to be more positive than negative. More positive results were seen among students of dental sciences (76.7 ± 12.8) and physiotheray (78.06 ± 13.1). Statistical significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was seen among all the courses in each subscale. Students' perception of teachers and students' self-perception showed statistically nonsignificant results when compared between gender. Conclusion: Students rated their learning environment as positive. This suggests a student-centered approach from the university and may lead to positive outcomes for the students.

Assessing the Learning Environment at Habib medical School, Islamic University in Uganda

Background: The learners’ environment is crucial for development of professionals. In Uganda, there was no studies assessing the learning environment have been found. Objective: This study was performed to assess the undergraduate students’ perceptions of medical education in general and educational environment in a newly established faculty of medicine in Islamic University in Uganda.Materials and Methods: The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), a validated inventory was distributed among undergraduate students in the first year of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery study. This scale consists a 50 item inventory each of the50 items is scored on a 5-point Likert scale (0 to4).Results: The average total DREEM score was found to be 127.5 (maximum point is 200 in the scale) for the students. This score was interpreted according to the practical guide of McAleer and Roff those students’ perceptions of their learning environment were more positive than negative. In addition, the descriptive values of 5 subdimensions of the scale were found as follows. The Perceptions of Learning dimension average is 33.69 ± 6.10, the Perceptions of Teachers dimension average is 25.89 ± 4.44, Students’ Academic Self-Perception 23.35 ± 3.91, Perceptions of Learning Atmosphere dimension average 29.83 ± 7.01 and Social self-perceptions dimension average 13.90 ± 3.92.Only the mean Social Self Perceptions sub-dimension score were below the expected average score (maximum score/2), and all of the other mean of dimensions were higher than the expected average. The best score is obtained from Perceptions of Learning. The items with low scores (less than 2) on the DREEM questionnaires were identified as in need of rehabilitation.Conclusion: On the whole, the study showed that the students’ perception of the educational environment and the teaching delivered were positive but the student’s social self-perception was not good. Measures to improve student’s social self-perception will be adopted.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 01 No. 01 January’17. Page : 26-29

Preclinical medical students’ perception about their educational environment based on DREEM at a Private University, Malaysia

Background: Educational environment is one of the important elements to students’ success. Student satisfaction is a significant indicator of learning quality and is related to several outcomeObjective: The cross-sectional descriptive study was done to measure the preclinical medical students’ perception of their educational environment at Faculty of Medicine (FOM), SEGi University.Methods: For measuring perception, the validated fifty Items English version of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was administered among Year 1 and 2 students (N-170). Data was analyzed by SPSS software V 22. The Independent t test was used to check the significance at 95% CI.Results: The response rate of the study was good (90.6%). The mean DREEM score was 126.78/200(19.501) indicating an overall positive perception of educational environment among students. The mean scores for Year1 and 2 were 123.98/200(2.623) and128.17/200(1.952) respectively which is not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Students’ perceptions of educational environment in all five Domains of DREEM is positive. The year wise perception scores are not statistically significant in four Domains (p> 0.05) but the difference is significant (P<0.05) in Students’Social Self- Perception (SSSP). Item 2 (Teachers are knowledgeable) scored > 3.00 indicates strong and nine Items scored < 2.00 indicate the problem areas in the educational environment of FOM. Fourty Items scored 2-3 considered areas needed to be improved.Conclusion: Although the educational environment of FOM was found to be positive, it requires improvement as identified by the students. The faculty should address various important issues highlighted by the students to foster an excellent environment for promoting the effective learning.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.16(4) 2017 p.496-504

Student perception of the educational environment in regular and bridging nursing programs in Saudi Arabia using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure.

BACKGROUNDTaibah University offers regular nursing (RNP) and nursing bridging (NBP) bachelor programs. We evaluated student perception of the learning environment as one means of quality assurance.OBJECTIVESTo assess nursing student perception of their educational environment, to compare the perceptions of regular and bridging students, and to compare the perceptions of students in the old and new curricula.DESIGNCross-sectional survey.SETTINGCollege of Nursing at Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) instrument was distributed to over 714 nursing students to assess perception of the educational environment. Independent samples t test and Pearson’s chi square were used to compare the programs and curricula.MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREThe DREEM inventory score.RESULTSOf 714 students, 271 (38%) were RNP students and 443 (62%) were NBP students. The mean (standard deviation) DREEM score was 111 (25). No significant differences were observed between the programs except for the domain “academic self-perceptions” being higher in RNP students (P<.001). Higher mean DREEM scores were observed among students studying the new curriculum in the RNP (P<.001) and NBP (P>.05).CONCLUSIONNursing students generally perceived their learning environment as more positive than negative. Regular students were more positive than bridging students. Students who experienced the new curriculum were more positive towards learning.LIMITATIONSThe cross-sectional design and unequal gender and study level distributions may limit generalizability of the results. Longitudinal, large-scale studies with more even distributions of participant characteristics are needed.

Perception of Learning Environment among Undergraduate Medical Students in Two Different Medical Schools through DREEM and JHLES Questionnaire.

Assessment of learning environment is essential to assess the acceptability of the curriculum among students. Several tools are available to assess undergraduate medical students' perception of learning environment. Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire is the most commonly used tool. Here, we have used both the widely used DREEM questionnaire and a relatively new questionnaire Johns Hopkins Learning Environment Scale (JHLES). Assessment of students' perception of learning environment of two eastern Indian medical schools using DREEM and JHLES questionnaire. In this cross-sectional questionnaire based study, 200 students from Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College (NRSMC) and 78 students from College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital (CMSDH) of 5th semester batch duly completed the two questionnaires, DREEM scale and JHLES tool. The DREEM questionnaire has 50 questions arranged in five domains. The JHLES questionnaire has 28 questions arranged in seven domains. Comparison of scores between the two colleges was done by unpaired t-test. There were altogether 100 female and 178 male participants with mean age of 20.46±0.67. There were no significant difference between the overall DREEM score (p=0.81) and the JHLES scores (p=0.10) obtained from NRSMC and that obtained from CMSDH. Analysis of individual domain scores on DREEM scale revealed that there were no significant differences in domain scores for the two medical schools except for Students' Perception of Atmosphere (SPA) score (p=0.0086). JHLES revealed significant differences in terms of engagement, inclusion and safety, and physical space (p<0.001). The DREEM and JHLES results revealed positive correlation (r=0.59). Both DREEM and JHLES scores revealed comparable results from two schools with positive correlation between DREEM and JHLES tools, however some areas with low scores require modification especially the domain assessing Students' Academic Self-Perception (SASP) and Students' Social Self Perceptions (SSSP).

Attitude of bachelor of dental surgery students and interns toward teaching-learning process in Government Dental College, Kottayam, Kerala, India.

The educational environment affects the academic performance of students. One of the most widely utilized tools for measuring the educational environment is Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). The objective of the study was to assess the attitude toward study environment, as measured using DREEM questionnaire, and to find out the differences in perception of various batches of dental students. All Bachelor of Dental Surgery students from Government Dental College, Kottayam, Kerala, India, were included in the study. They were given the well-established DREEM questionnaire. A total of 234 students took part in the study, belonging to 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 batches. DREEM subcategories were analyzed for significance using analysis of variance. The significance of DREEM score across the different batches was further analyzed using post hoc test. Overall, DREEM score was positive (111.14), but there is need for improvement. Individual questions also were given positive score for most questions. The maximum score was obtained for 3rd year students. Similar results are obtained for three of the five subcategories of DREEM. The total DREEM score was positive (111.14). The total score as well as the scores for the subcategories was highest in 3rd year dental students. The increase might be due to the excitement of clinical exposure for the first time in 3rd year students.

A rapid appraisal of educational environment of an evolving medical school in northern India

Background: One needs to assess the learning environment to identify the lacunae so that appropriate and timely remedial measures can be undertaken and gaps can be bridged to enhance the students’ learning experience. Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate the students’ perception on learning environment in an evolving Indian Medical School. Materials and Methods: The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was given to 282 students during November 2015 to January 2016. The questionnaires were handed out to the students in the classrooms by the authors themselves just after the completion of classes. The time allocated for the completion of the questionnaire was 45 min. Results: Overall DREEM score was 130.63/200. The mean score for student’s perceptions of learning (SPL) was 31.51/48 (standard deviation [SD] = 9.68); for student’s perceptions of teachers (SPT) 28.04/44 (SD = 8.12); for student’s academic self-perceptions 21.5/32 (SD = 6.81); for student’s perceptions of atmosphere 32.46/48 (SD = 9.96); and for student’s social self perceptions (SSSP) 17.12/28 (SD = 6.11). Mean DREEM values were highest among males and females of 2nd year. In the domain of SPL, students were of the view that teachers were teaching more of the facts and figures in the classrooms. In the domain of SPT, students were in the view that teachers ridicule them. In the domain of SSSP, students did not feel the existence of good support system for stressed students. Conclusion: Targeted interventions are needed in identified areas to bridge the gap and make the learning experience more soothing for our students. Mentoring may be introduced to interact the students and help them in creating the better support system for them.

Dental students' perception regarding their training on geriatrics

Objective: This study presents findings of the first study developed in Brazil, using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) instrument, to evaluate students' perceptions regarding the learning environment through an undergraduate dentistry course. Particularly, the aim was to evaluate geriatrics learning and training process outside the university boundaries during an outreach program. Materials and Methods: It was a descriptive study by means of the DREEM questionnaire applied in 114 undergraduate students from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Data analysis was performed by means of ANOVA statistical test with SPSS software. Results: Average DREEM score, of all domains of the questionnaire, is higher for females with a good perception and younger males have a more positive self-perception of their academic life. Conclusions: The course of geriatrics at the studied university faces some potential facts, but at the same time, presents absence of a psychological support to the student and this reflects their perceptions of self-learning.

Anesthesiology residents' perception of educational environment: comparison between different years of training

Study ObjectivesTo assess whether the year of residency in anesthesiology is associated with residents' overall perceptions of the learning environment and to evaluate the association between year of residency and each of the five domains of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) survey. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingResidency program of anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic. Subjects and InterventionResidents of anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic were invited to complete the DREEM questionnaire and a demographic survey. MeasurementsWe assessed whether year of residency was associated with the overall standardized DREEM questionnaire score using linear regression. We also assessed the associations between year of residency and each of the 5 DREEM questionnaire domains using separate linear regression models. ResultsOf the 60 residents invited to complete the DREEM questionnaire, 49 (82%) completed it. There was no association between year of residency and overall DREEM score (P = .21), students' perception of teaching (P = .38), students' perceptions of teachers (P = .28), students' academic self-perceptions (P = .03), students' perceptions of atmosphere (P = .65), or students' social self-perceptions (P = .08). The primary outcome was assessed using a significance criterion of 0.05, whereas each secondary outcome was assessed using a significance criterion of 0.01 for secondary analyses (ie, 0.05/5, Bonferroni). ConclusionResident's perception of the learning environment in the anesthesiology residency program of the Cleveland Clinic is on the positive side, as measured by the DREEM questionnaire. We found no association between the year of training and the DREEM questionnaire overall score. Furthermore, we found no association between year of residency and any of the subscores for the 5 DREEM domains. There is room for improvement, especially in the area of self-perception.

Abstracts presented at the Winter Meeting of the British Association of Clinical Anatomists on 10th December 2015 at St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, United Kingdom

Questionnaires based studies of learning style/approach have influenced the design of modern medical curricula. Questions remain about the validity of these questionnaires across ever evolving student populations as approaches to learning almost inevitably change during medical school. This pilot study aims to identify differing learning approaches in first year medical students and determine a relationship with academic performance in an established curriculum designed to prepare for the United States Medical Licensing Examination. Fifty-one semester-I medical students participated in this study through completing the Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) and the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). DREEM scores showed a positive educational climate. Preferred approach to learning was 31%, 61%, and 8% for deep, strategic and surface approaches respectively. No significant difference was found between examination performance across students who adopted differing learning approaches. Performance correlated with both strategic (r=0.276, P<0.05) and surface learning approaches (r=-0.423, P<0.05). This study highlights the need to further investigate the efficacy of applying the results of questionnaires to curriculum design. Accounting for changes in student learning approach over the first year of medical school may be key in applying theory into practice.

Students' perception of the educational environment in medical college: a study based on DREEM questionnaire.

Purpose:The educational environment (EE) plays a very important role in effective student learning. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a validated tool to assess the EE. This study aimed to collect baseline information about our medical student’s perception of the EE, and to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses as well as scope for improvements in the current EE.Methods:Medical students and interns were included in this cross-sectional study. The DREEM questionnaire was used to measure students’ perceptions about the EE, which has five domains: students’ perceptions of learning; students’ perceptions of teachers; students’ academic self-perceptions; students’ perceptions of atmosphere; and students’ social self-perceptions. Students were asked to respond using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Data was analyzed using suitable tests and statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results:The mean global DREEM score was 123/200. All students had more positive than negative academic self-perception (21.24/32), perception of atmosphere (29.21/48), and perception of learning (28.99/48), while their social self-perception (17.48/28) was not too bad and perception of teachers (26.71/44) moved in the right direction. The fifth semester students perceived EE more positively than other semester students.Conclusion:The present study revealed that all students perceived their EE positively. The positive points were that teachers were knowledgeable, that students had good friends, and they were confident about passing their exams. Problem areas observed were authoritarian teachers, overemphasis on factual learning, overly teacher-centered teaching, teachers getting angry, and the need for a support system for stressed students.

Medical Students' Perception of Their Educational Environment and Quality of Life: Is There a Positive Association?

To assess perceptions of educational environment of students from 22 Brazilian medical schools and to study the association between these perceptions and quality of life (QoL) measures. The authors performed a multicenter study (August 2011 to August 2012), examining students' views both of (1) educational environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) and (2) QoL using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment, abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF). They also examined students' self-assessment of their overall QoL and medical-school-related QoL (MSQoL). The authors classified participants' perceptions into four quartiles according to DREEM total score, overall QoL, and MSQoL. Of 1,650 randomly selected students, 1,350 (81.8%) completed the study. The mean total DREEM score was 119.4 (standard deviation = 27.1). Higher total DREEM scores were associated with higher overall QoL and MSQoL scores (P < .001 for all comparisons) and younger ages (P < .001). Mean overall QoL scores were higher than MSQoL scores (mean difference, 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28-1.43; P < .001). Multinomial regression models showed significant dose-response patterns: Higher DREEM quartile scores were associated with better QoL. The psychological health domain of WHOQOL-BREF was most closely associated with DREEM scores (odds ratio 4.70; 95% CI = 3.80-5.81). The authors observed a positive association between QoL measures and DREEM scores. This association had a dose-response effect, independent of age, sex, and year of medical training, showing that educational environment appears to be an important moderator of medical student QoL.

Survey of student perception of medical education environment among emergency medicine residents of an academic medical centre in Northern India.

BackgroundThe specialty of emergency medicine is in its infancy state in the long history of the Indian health sciences education system. Little analytical published data is available at the moment in India regarding the quality of medical education as perceived by the students.Roff et al. (Med Teach 19: 295–299, 1997) developed a methodology using a Delphi panel to standardize the measurement of medical education known as the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), which is widely utilized.The purpose of this survey is to investigate student perceptions of medical education environment among emergency medicine residents of an academic medical centre in Northern India using the DREEM tool.MethodsThe DREEM questionnaire was administered to the students undergoing 3-year post-graduate emergency medicine training in our residency programme. A total of 35 students enrolled from all 3 years of the residency programme completed the survey in May 2013. The results were analysed using STATA 9.0.ResultsThe reliability coefficient which was calculated using Cronbach’s alpha for the totality of items of this study was 0.92, which indicates high internal consistency.The mean (95 % CI) for the overall DREEM was 139.8 (133.3, 146.2), which showed excellent educational environment among the medical students.ConclusionsThe DREEM score is a universal tool for assessment of education provided by health science institutes. With a total score of 139.8, the study conducted at our institute showed comparable results to the original DREEM study conducted by Roff et al. The good scores in all the five subscales reveal an excellent educational programme and learning environment as perceived by the students enrolled at our institution.

Perception Study of Traditional Korean Medical Students on the Medical Education Using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure.

Background. In Korea, a few studies regarding traditional Korean medicine (TKM) education have been conducted. The aim of this study is to evaluate students' perceptions regarding TKM education in Korea and compare them with those of other countries using a quantitative scale, Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). Materials and Methods. We conducted a survey using DREEM in a TKM college. Totally, 325 students responded to this survey and we performed the descriptive statistics of scores in all items, subscales, and total. Additionally, subgroup comparisons according to gender, school year, and academic achievement were analyzed. Results. Mean overall DREEM score was 94.65 out of 200, which is relatively low compared to previous studies. Particularly, perceptions regarding subscales of learning, atmosphere, and self-perceptions were interpreted as problematic. There was no statistically significant difference between genders in spite of some differences among groups based on school year or academic achievement. Conclusions. We could examine students' perceptions regarding TKM education at a TKM college using DREEM for which validity and reliability were verified. TKM education was perceived relatively poor, but these quantitative indicators suggested which parts of education need improvement. We expect DREEM to be used widely in TKM or traditional medical education field.

Students' perceptions of the educational environment measured using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure inventory in a dental school of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha

Introduction: Education is an igniting force amidst an obscure world bringing illumination into forefront. Understanding an educational program can assist with quality assurance by identifying where a program can be improved. Fundamental right of students to freely express their views and their active role in the decision-making process is a cornerstone of any academic program. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess students' perceptions of educational environment using Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire-based study was conducted in a private dental school of Bhubaneswar city. The study population included 194 undergraduate students of the 3rd and final year, who were personally approached by the investigator to complete the questionnaire (response rate 88.14%). Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program. Comparisons were done using Student's t-test. Results: The mean DREEM score of the study sample indicated a positive learning perception (119.65 ± 19.68). There was a statistically significant difference between genders with respect to mean scores of perception of teachers. Conclusions: Dental students rated their learning environment as positive. It gives a valuable insight as to how students' view the course, enabling the school to address specific concerns.

Medical students’ perceptions of the educational environment in an offshore Indian campus of a Malaysian medical school

Background: Educational environment is one of the main determinants of student learning, especially in a student-centered curriculum. This study was undertaken as a mid-program evaluation of the educational environment of a new medical program - USM-KLE International Medical Programme (USM-KLE IMP), which is an offshore campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia. The program follows an innovative, integrated, curriculum having Problem Based Learning as prescribed by the Malaysian university, and commenced in 2010. Methods: Towards the end of the academic year 2012-13, the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) inventory was administered to the undergraduate medical students of all three years. Results: Out of 186 students, 177 (95%) responded, 33.33% (n=59) were males and 66.66% (n=118) females. The mean scores in the domains of students’ perceptions of learning, perceptions of teachers, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere, social self-perceptions and total mean DREEM scores were 33.2 (Maximum 48), 29.6 (Maximum 44), 21.9 (Maximum 32), 34.1(Maximum 48), 18.1(Maximum 28) and 137(Maximum 200), respectively. The highest score was for the item “the faculty are knowledgeable” with a mean score of 3.44±0.64. Twelve items had scores of more than 3.0, and three items had scores below 2.0. Conclusion: The results of the study indicate that the perception of USM-KLE IMP students towards their educational and learning environment is “more positive than negative” and that the program is moving in the right direction.

Comparison of Medical Students’ and Teachers’ Perception about Clinical Educational Environment in Educational Hospital Wards

Background: Clinical training has an important section in medical students’ education. Creating a favorable learning environment plays an essential role in medical education. Since clinical teachers involve to clinical problem, clinical education environment evaluation can help to identify the negative and positive factors. This study was conducted to compare medical students’ and residents' perceptions and their teachers of the hospitals educational environment using the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM). Methods: This descriptive, analysis cross-sectional study was conducted in Kerman University of Medical Science, 2012. Using DREEM investigate the educational atmosphere four main clinical wards (Internal, Surgery, Pediatrics and Gynecology) in the educational hospitals of University. DREEM distributed to 230 participants, included 50 clinical teachers, 88 residents and 92 interns. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18. We were carried out Anova test to comparison means items. Results: The overall DREEM is 161/200for interns, 157/200 for residents and 123/140 for teachers. Generally tend to positive. There were significant difference in Learning domain (P<0.000) and atmosphere (P<0.000). There was no significant difference in teacher performance domain (0.127). Conclusions: DREEM scores are on the top of scoring except the perception of teachers in domain of learning that it can be causing of satisfies of their performance in learning environment. Participants assessed the educational environment as high level. Regarding the Perception of learning, teachers' performance, and learning atmosphere was viewed positively. So, it’s better to keep quality in high level in clinical wards.

Moroccan medical students' perceptions of their educational environment.

This study aimed to assess students’ perceptions of their educational environment in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Morocco, using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM). A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat, Morocco, in which medical students’ perceptions of their educational environment were assessed using the DREEM criteria during the 2013-2014 academic years. The DREEM inventory encompasses 50 items divided into five subdomains: perceptions of learning, perceptions of teaching, academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere, and social self-perceptions. The DREEM has a maximum score of 200, which would correspond to a perfect educational environment. The mean scores (±standard deviation) of students’ responses were compared according to their year of study and gender. The responses of 189 postgraduate medical students were included. The mean total DREEM score was 90.8 (45.4%). The mean total scores for five subdomains were 21.2/48 (44.2%), 21.8/44 (49.6%), 13.1/32 (40.9%), 19.0/48 (39.6%), and 15.6/28 (55.7%) respectively. Female students reported higher perceptions of teaching scores than males (P=0.002), and students in their fifth year of study reported significantly higher social self-perceptions scores than those in their fourth year (P=0.03). In this study of the oldest faculty of medicine in Morocco, students perceived the educational environment as having many problems.

Assessment of learning environment among the first year Malaysian medical students

Abstract Objectives The quality of the learning environment has been identified to be crucial for effective learning. Medical students' perceptions of learning environments provide a useful foundation for modifying and improving the quality of medical education. The aim of this study was to assess first-year medical students' perceptions of the learning environment in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Methods The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire was distributed to all 213 first-year medical students of UKM. The questionnaire contained 50 items scored on a 0–4 Likert scale (total scores could range from 0 to 200). There were five subscales in the questionnaire, including students' perceptions about learning, teachers, atmosphere, academic self-perceptions, and social self-perceptions. Results The total DREEM score recorded in this study was 135.6/200, which indicated that medical students' perceptions of the learning environment at UKM were more positive than negative. Students' perceptions of learning, students' perceptions of teachers, students' academic self-perceptions, students' perceptions of atmosphere and students' social self-perceptions scores were 33.04/48, 29.68/44, 22.16/32, 33.11/48 and 17.62/28, respectively. The total DREEM score was significantly higher among female (137.02/200) than male medical students (130.84/200) (p 0.05). Conclusion The study showed that first-year medical students at UKM positively perceived their learning environment. Some low-scoring areas of the learning environment were also identified, which require improvement in the future.

Relationship among Medical Student Resilience, Educational Environment and Quality of Life.

ContextResilience is a capacity to face and overcome adversities, with personal transformation and growth. In medical education, it is critical to understand the determinants of a positive, developmental reaction in the face of stressful, emotionally demanding situations. We studied the association among resilience, quality of life (QoL) and educational environment perceptions in medical students.MethodsWe evaluated data from a random sample of 1,350 medical students from 22 Brazilian medical schools. Information from participants included the Wagnild and Young’s resilience scale (RS-14), the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM), the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire – short form (WHOQOL-BREF), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).ResultsFull multiple linear regression models were adjusted for sex, age, year of medical course, presence of a BDI score ≥ 14 and STAI state or anxiety scores ≥ 50. Compared to those with very high resilience levels, individuals with very low resilience had worse QoL, measured by overall (β=-0.89; 95% confidence interval =-1.21 to -0.56) and medical-school related (β=-0.85; 95%CI=-1.25 to -0.45) QoL scores, environment (β=-6.48; 95%CI=-10.01 to -2.95), psychological (β=-22.89; 95%CI=-25.70 to -20.07), social relationships (β=-14.28; 95%CI=-19.07 to -9.49), and physical health (β=-10.74; 95%CI=-14.07 to -7.42) WHOQOL-BREF domain scores. They also had a worse educational environment perception, measured by global DREEM score (β=-31.42; 95%CI=-37.86 to -24.98), learning (β=-7.32; 95%CI=-9.23 to -5.41), teachers (β=-5.37; 95%CI=-7.16 to -3.58), academic self-perception (β=-7.33; 95%CI=-8.53 to -6.12), atmosphere (β=-8.29; 95%CI=-10.13 to -6.44) and social self-perception (β=-3.12; 95%CI=-4.11 to -2.12) DREEM domain scores. We also observed a dose-response pattern across resilience level groups for most measurements.ConclusionsMedical students with higher resilience levels had a better quality of life and a better perception of educational environment. Developing resilience may become an important strategy to minimize emotional distress and enhance medical training.