What factors determine academic achievement in high achieving undergraduate medical students? A qualitative study

High- and low-achieving international medical students' perceptions of the factors influencing their academic performance at Chinese universities

China has become an attractive destination for international medical students, particularly those from developing countries in Asia and Africa. These students are known to face difficulties in adapting to Chinese medical universities and they tend to score poorly on subsequent examinations to enter the medical profession in their home or in a third country. To date, limited research concerning the factors that affect the academic performance of this group of students in China has been conducted. In particular, there have been very few comparisons between high and low achievers to identify the factors that high- and low-achieving international medical students in all years of study perceive as affecting their academic performance. A qualitative research approach was implemented at two medical universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 high achievers and 22 low achievers in their second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and post-graduation years. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using a thematic analysis approach.A few key overlapping factors were identified: social support, learning motivation and interest, exam preparation and strategies, time management, and coping. The high achievers manipulated these strategies successfully while the low achievers did not. The high achievers demonstrated efficient learning methods (efficient use of class time, good note-taking habits, preview and review strategies, expanded learning, self-study and group learning, deep learning, choosing an appropriate study location, and focusing on basics and concepts). They also achieved a good balance between studying and leisure. The low achievers mentioned learning challenges, health issues, English language barriers, and problems with online classes. This study allowed us to identify important factors that international medical students at Chinese institutions perceive to influence their performance. The findings contribute to the literature on the topic and provide a solid basis for practice and policy development.

Reasons for why Medical Students Prefer Specific Sleep Management Strategies

OBJECTIVES

Insomnia symptoms are common among medical students. This study explored the perspectives of medical students about which sleep management strategies to use.

METHODS

Medical students responded to an online survey on their thoughts about the use of various sleep management strategies.

RESULTS

Of the 828 respondents, 568 (69%) provided responses to questions about the most preferred strategies and 450 (54%) provided responses about their least preferred strategies. About 48.5% felt their insomnia symptoms were too mild to see a clinician and 23.9% did not think their symptoms warranted sleep medication. Over 40% of students could not avoid work before sleep, have consistent sleep/wake times, or engage in regular exercise because of their busy and inconsistent schedules. Approximately 40-60% could not improve their sleep environment (e.g. better heating and bed) because of the associated costs. Over 80% reported an inability to change their pre-sleep habits (e.g. using electronics close to bedtime, using bed for activities other than sleep or sex). Half of the students disliked relaxation techniques or felt they would not help. Around 30-50% did not believe that changing caffeine and/or alcohol intake would affect their sleep.

CONCLUSIONS

Medical students may benefit from additional sleep education. Clinicians may need to discuss which strategies individual students prefer and modify their recommendations accordingly.

Assessing predictors of students' academic performance in Ethiopian new medical schools: a concurrent mixed-method study

BACKGROUND

Since 2012 the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and Education implemented a new medical curriculum in 13 institutions. The new curriculum introduced some questions on its admission policy: students can join with different educational backgrounds. Students' performance on qualifying exams and grade point average are lower than desired. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate what factors predict the academic performance of students in the New Medical Education Initiative in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A concurrent mixed method of survey and qualitative was used; for the survey, a structured self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students of four randomly selected medical schools from December 2018 to January 2019. The questionnaire includes questions about socio-demographic and educational background of participants. Multiple linear regression analysis was used in order to identify the factors associated with academic performance. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 key informants to explore qualitatively.

RESULTS

In the multiple linear regressions, stress was associated with lower academic performance. Students with prior education in the field of health science outperformed students with other bachelors. The cumulative grade point average of the previous bachelor degree and the score on the entrance exam to join medicine also significantly predicted performance. Although some more variables are identified from the qualitative interviews, its findings supported the survey results.

CONCLUSIONS

Of the number of predictor variables analyzed in the model, only stress, prior educational degree, performance in the prior degree and entrance exam score were significantly correlated with the performance of students in their preclinical medical engagement.

The Interrelationship of Loneliness, Smartphone Addiction, Sleep Quality, and Students' Attention in English as a Foreign Language Class

In this study, a research model comprising four variables (loneliness, smartphone addiction, sleep quality, and students' attention in English as a foreign language class) was proposed and statistically examined. Previous literature has appeared to neglect these variables, which are considered to be essential to understanding students' attention in EFL (English as a foreign language) class among college students. A total of 587 undergraduate students were recruited from a university in Taiwan to participate in the present study. The technique of structural equation modeling was adopted to test the hypotheses in the conceptual model. The findings of this study are: (1) smartphone addiction has a significant negative impact on students' attention in EFL class; (2) smartphone addiction has a significant negative impact on sleep quality; (3) sleep quality has a significant positive impact on students' attention in EFL class; (4) sleep quality partially mediates the relationship between smartphone addiction and students' attention in EFL class; (5) loneliness has a significant positive effect on smartphone addiction. The results can enrich the present literature in the psychology of attention and mobile technology by providing an insight into the dynamics of these four variables.

Sailing the boat together: Co-creation of a model for learning during transition

PURPOSE

Medical students' transition to postgraduate training, given the complexity of new roles and responsibilities, requires the engagement of all involved stakeholders. This study aims to co-create a transition curriculum and determine the value of involving the key stakeholders throughout such transition in its design process.

METHODS

We conducted a mixed-methods study involving faculty/leaders (undergraduate/postgraduate), final-year medical students, and chief residents. It commenced with eight co-creation sessions (CCS), qualitative results of which were used to draft a quantitative survey sent to non-participants, followed by two consensus-building CCS with the original participants. We applied thematic analysis for transcripts of all CCS, and mean scores with standard deviations for survey analysis.

RESULTS

We identified five themes: adaptation, authenticity, autonomy, connectedness, and continuity, embedded in the foundation of a supportive environment, to constitute a Model of Learning during Transition (MOLT). Inclusion of various stakeholders and optimizing their representation brought rich perspectives to the design process. This was reinforced through active students' participation enabling a final consensus.

CONCLUSIONS

Bringing perspectives of key stakeholders in the transition spectrum enriches transition curricula. The proposed MOLT can provide a guide for curriculum designers to optimize the final year of undergraduate medical training in preparing students for postgraduate training with essential competencies to be trained.

Comparison of academic performance of medical undergraduate students between routine class room teaching and online assisted teaching in biochemistry during COVID pandemic

The new curriculum of competency based medical education (CBME) implemented for phase1 medical undergraduates could not go on to completion due to the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The educational institutions therefore resorted to online teaching modalities over conventional class room teachings. Hence this study aimed to compare the academic performance of students between routine classroom teaching and online assisted teaching with assignments.94 phase 1 MBBS students admitted in the year 2019-2020 was divided into low (<50%), medium (51%-70%) and high performers (71%-100%) based on the average marks in the initial formative assessments. Academic performance of students in three types of teaching modalities namely classroom teaching (CRT), classroom teaching with assignment (CRA), and online assisted teaching (OAT) were compared using ANOVA. Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to find the difference in marks between CRT and CRA which was calculated as gain 1 and that between OAT and CRT is gain 2. Out of 94 students, 19 were low performers, 53 were medium performers and 22 were high performers when grouped at baseline. All these groups performed significantly well with OAT compared to CRT and CRA. The overall performance of girls was found to be significantly higher. There was no significant difference between Gain 1 and Gain 2. All group of students scored high in assessments following online teaching compared to conventional classroom teaching. The gain of online teaching did not outweigh the conventional teaching methods implying that face to face lectures is still an effective teaching modality.

Differences between high- and low-achieving pre-clinical medical students: a qualitative instrumental case study from a theory of action perspective

BACKGROUND

Poor academic performance and failure can cause undesired effects for students, schools, and society. Understanding why some students fail while their peers succeed is important to enhance student performance. Therefore, this study explores the differences in the learning process between high- and low-achieving pre-clinical medical students from a theory of action perspective.

METHODS

This study employed a qualitative instrumental case study design intended to compare two groups of students-high-achieving students (n = 14) and low-achieving students (n = 5), enrolled in pre-clinical medical studies at the Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. Data were collected through reflective journals and semi-structured interviews. Regarding journaling, participants were required to recall their learning experiences of the previous academic year. Two analysts coded the data and then compared the codes of high- and low-achieving students. The third analyst reviewed the codes. Themes were identified iteratively, working towards comparing the learning processes of high- and low-achieving students.

RESULTS

Data analysis revealed four themes-motivation and expectation, study methods, self-management, and flexibility of mindset. First, high-achieving students were more motivated and had higher academic expectations than low-achieving students. Second, high-achieving students adopted study planning and deep learning approaches, whereas low-achieving students adopted superficial learning approaches. Third, in contrast to low-achieving students, high-achieving students exhibited better time management and studied consistently. Finally, high-achieving students proactively sought external support and made changes to overcome challenges. In contrast, low-achieving students were less resilient and tended to avoid challenges.

CONCLUSION

Based on the theory of action, high-achieving students utilize positive governing variables, whereas low-achieving students are driven by negative governing variables. Hence, governing variable-based remediation is needed to help low-achieving students interrogate the motives behind their actions and realign positive governing variables, actions, and intended outcomes.Key MessagesThis study found four themes describing the differences between high- and low-achieving pre-clinical medical students: motivation and expectation, study methods, self-management, and flexibility of mindset.Based on the theory of action approach, high-achieving pre-clinical medical students are fundamentally different from their low-achieving peers in terms of their governing variables, with the positive governing variables likely to have guided them to act in a manner beneficial to and facilitating desirable academic performance.Governing variable-based remediation may help students interrogate the motives of their actions.

The Relationship between Personality, Motivation and Academic Performance at Medical Students from Romania

The academic and health system requirements are constantly growing due to the continuous development of this sector. Therefore, it is important to investigate the structural factors that improve performance in the medical system. The aim of our pilot study is to analyze if there are associations or correlations between personality and motivation and the results obtained for the National Residency Exam of Romanian medical graduates. We conducted a prospective pilot study on 179 medical students from George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Romania between February 2021 and December 2021, who were evaluated by the DECAS, IM, and SPM scale. Our results showed that all the dimensions of personality according to the Big Five Model, which include openness (OR = 0.392, p = 0.01), extraversion (OR = 0.512, p = 0.03), conscientiousness (OR = 3.671, p = 0.004), agreeableness (OR = 2.791, p = 0.07), and emotional stability (OR = 4.863, p = 0.0003), are statistically associated with the result obtained. Motivation also plays an important role in academic achievements, through motivational persistence and motivational involvement which correlates with the conscientiousness dimension and the result obtained. This study confirms that both personality structure and motivation are associated or correlated with the academic results of medical students and represent a starting point for future research.

How do medical students learn conceptual knowledge? High-, moderate- and low-utility learning techniques and perceived learning difficulties

BACKGROUND

Acquiring medical knowledge is a key competency for medical students and a lifelong requirement for physicians. Learning techniques can improve academic success and help students cope with stressors. To support students' learning process medical faculties should know about learning techniques. The purpose of this study is to analyse the preferred learning techniques of female and male as well as junior and senior medical students and how these learning techniques are related to perceived learning difficulties.

METHODS

In 2019, we conducted an online survey with students of the undergraduate, competency-based curriculum of medicine at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. We chose ten learning techniques of high, moderate and low utility according to Dunlosky et al. (2013) and we asked medical students to rate their preferred usage of those techniques using a 5-point Likert scale. We applied t-tests to show differences in usage between female and male as well as junior and senior learners. Additionally, we conducted a multiple regression analysis to explore the predictive power of learning techniques regarding perceived difficulties.

RESULTS

A total of 730 medical students (488 women, 242 men, M_age = 24.85, SD = 4.49) use three techniques the most: 'highlighting' (low utility), 'self-explanation' (moderate utility) and 'practice testing' (high utility). Female students showed a significantly higher usage of low-utility learning techniques (t(404.24) = -7.13, p < .001) and a higher usage of high-utility learning techniques (t(728) = -2.50, p < .05) than male students (M = 3.55, SD = .95). Compared to junior students (second to sixth semester; M = 3.65, SD = .71), senior students (seventh semester to final clerkship year; M = 3.52, SD = .73) showed a lower use of low-utility learning techniques (t(603) = 2.15, p < .05). Usage of low-utility techniques is related to more difficulties (β = .08, t(724) = 2.13, p < .05). Usage of moderate-utility techniques is related to less learning difficulties (β = -.13, t(599) = -3.21, p < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Students use a wide range of low-, moderate- and high-utility learning techniques. The use of learning techniques has an influence on the difficulties perceived by students. Therefore, they could benefit from knowing about and using high-utility learning techniques to facilitate their learning. Faculties should inform their students about effective learning and introduce them to useful learning techniques.

The effect of implementing mind maps for online learning and assessment on students during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

In Saudi Arabia, the sudden shift from conventional (in-person) to online education due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected teaching and assessment methods. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of mind maps in this regard, measure students' reactions to certain educational environment-related changes caused by the pandemic, and identify skills that students perceived they gained through mind mapping.

METHODS

This study employed a non-intervention (cross sectional) design. Participants were King Abdulaziz University students from two medical physics courses (second and fourth level). Data were collected twice (after the first and last mind mapping assignments), and responses were analyzed using a paired t-test. Overall student results were compared against overall student performance in the previous term using chi-squares test hypothesis testing. The data were collected and analyzed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

The results of the paired t-test showed no significant differences between students' mean satisfaction in both surveys. Nevertheless, students' responses revealed their satisfaction with using mind maps. Moreover, students believed that they gained skills like organizing and planning, decision making, and critical thinking from the mind map assignments. The chi-squares test (Chi-square = 4.29 < [Formula: see text]  = 9.48 and p-value = 0.36 > 0.05) showed no differences in students' grade distribution between the two terms of 2020 (pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic) despite the change in assessment style post-pandemic commencement.

CONCLUSIONS

Mind mapping can be adapted as an online teaching and assessment method. Additionally, student support and education institution-level effective communication can reduce stress during challenging times.

Why Do Students Procrastinate More in Some Courses Than in Others and What Happens Next? Expanding the Multilevel Perspective on Procrastination

Much is known about the antecedents and outcomes of procrastination when comparing students to one another (i.e., between-person level). However, little is known about the antecedents and outcomes of procrastination when comparing the courses taken by the students during a semester (i.e., within-person level). In this study, we proposed that examining procrastination at both levels of analysis should improve our understanding of the academic experience of students. At both levels, we examined the mediating role of procrastination in the associations between two dimensions of motivation (i.e., autonomous and controlled) and indicators of academic achievement (i.e., grades) and well-being (i.e., positive and negative affect). A sample of 359 university students completed questionnaires measuring their motivation, procrastination, and affect in each of their courses. The official final course grades were obtained at the end of the semester. Multilevel mediation analyses with structural equation modeling were conducted to test our hypotheses. At the between-person level, the indirect effects revealed that higher controlled motivation was significantly associated with worse outcomes (i.e., worse grades and higher negative affect) via higher levels of procrastination. At the within-person level, the indirect effects revealed that lower autonomous motivation was significantly associated with worse outcomes (i.e., worse grades, lower positive affect, and higher negative affect) via higher levels of procrastination. Overall, this study shows that different pathways at each level of analysis may explain how procrastination can be detrimental for the success and well-being of university students.

The effect of Flipped Classroom through Near Peer Education (FC through NPE) on patient safety knowledge retention in nursing and midwifery students: a solomon four-group design

INTRODUCTION

Selecting an appropriate teaching methodology is one of the key stages in education. This study is an attempt to delve into the effect of FC through NPE on patient safety knowledge retention in nursing and midwifery students.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial, using the Solomon design, was conducted in 2019 on 82 nursing and midwifery students enrolled from Bushehr nursing and midwifery school. The Subjects were then allocated to four groups via block randomization. The Subjects in both intervention groups studied the educational content online for 2 weeks and subsequently attended the FC through NPE. Both control groups merely received education based on conventional method. The post-test was once administered to the four study groups immediately after completing the program and once again 2 months after it.

RESULTS

The posttest mean scores of knowledge retention in both intervention groups remained the same (P = 0.1), while they were higher in the control groups (P < 0.05). The changes in the mean scores of the post-test in the intervention and follow-up groups did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the four study groups (P = 0.130, F = 1.941).

CONCLUSION

The use of the FC through NPE increased the knowledge mean scores; however, it failed to affect knowledge retention. Given the infancy of this pedagogical approach, further studies are needed to investigate its effects on various learning outcomes.

Student, Faculty, and Coach Perspectives on Why Athletes Excel in Medical School: A Qualitative Analysis

Phenomenon Medical schools are tasked with selecting applicants who will excel in a rigorous curriculum and successfully perform as future physicians. While many studies have assessed quantitative prematriculation data for predicting success in medical school, fewer studies have assessed for qualitative prematriculation factors influencing medical school performance. A recent study revealed that medical students with at least one year of varsity level college athletics participation outperformed their peers on United States Medical Licensing board exams and clinical clerkships. The current study sought to explore medical student, medical school faculty, and college coach perspectives about factors explaining why medical students with collegiate athletic experience succeed in medical school. Approach: In 2019, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with medical students with collegiate athletic experience, medical school faculty with experience educating student athletes, and college coaches with experience training student athletes who matriculated into medical school. The interview transcripts were systematically coded and analyzed for themes using a grounded theory approach. Participants were recruited and interviewed until saturation of data was reached. Findings: Fifteen medical students with collegiate athletic experience, five medical school faculty, and three collegiate coaches participated in the study. Six themes were identified as important factors explaining the academic success of these students in medical school and each of these themes appeared in student, faculty, and coach interviews: goal setting, goal pursuit, and performance appraisal; development of time management, planning, and organizational skills; development of team values and teamwork skills; development of communication and interpersonal skills; acceptance of, coping strategies for, and resilient response to stress and adversity; and prioritization of personal wellness. Participants described meaningful connections between these attributes and skills, suggesting the students' development, transfer, and application of them is interrelated. Insights: In this study, academic success of medical students with collegiate athletic experience was attributed to specific skills and attributes developed during college. The grounded theory life skills transfer model can explain transfer of these attributes and skills from college to the medical school setting. Theoretical frameworks and empirical study findings from the sociology, educational psychology, sports psychology, and medical education literature provide helpful lenses for understanding why these skills and attributes confer success among student athletes in medical school. These findings offer important insights on skill development that may support the academic success of all medical students.

Mobile Phone Addiction and Academic Procrastination Negatively Impact Academic Achievement Among Chinese Medical Students

The problem of mobile phone addiction and academic procrastination among medical students has been widely acknowledged. This study aimed to explore the influence of demographic factors on mobile phone addiction, academic procrastination, and academic achievement among medical students. Further, it investigated the association between mobile phone addiction, academic procrastination, and academic achievement. This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2019. A total of 3 511 medical students participated in an online questionnaire survey (effective response rate = 81.7%). Demographic factors, the Scale of Academic Achievement, the short scale of the Mobile Phone Problem Use (MPPUS-10), and the Academic Procrastination Scale–Short (APS-S) were used. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the average scores for academic procrastination, mobile phone addiction, and academic achievement were 2.66 ± 0.91, 5.13 ± 1.53, and 4.51 ± 0.71, respectively. Moreover, there were significant differences in gender, grade, leadership experience, and family monthly income across mobile phone addiction, academic procrastination, and academic achievement. Mobile phone addiction was negatively associated with learning dedication, learning performance, and relationship facilitation. Academic procrastination was negatively associated with learning dedication, learning performance, relationship facilitation, and objective achievement. Mobile phone addiction and academic procrastination was revealed as prevalent among Chinese medical students, and negatively influences their academic achievement. It is critical to establish a more efficient learning environment for Chinese medical students to minimize the negative impact of mobile phone addiction and academic procrastination.

Personality and mental health factors associated with performance at university level: A study of business administration students

BACKGROUND

Performance of students at university level may be influenced by various factors.

AIM

In a sample of business administration students, we explored personality, mental health, and life style factors associated with high and low achievers based on their examination grades (Grade A and higher vs. Grade B and lower).

METHODS

We studied personality factors using big five inventory (BFI)-10, anxiety through generalized anxiety disorder-7 screening scale, and depression by patient health questionnaire-9 scale. In open-ended questionnaires, stress, relationship, and drug uses were enquired about.

RESULTS

Considerable proportions of students had anxiety (33%) and depression (41%) at moderate-to-severe level; however, they were not different in the two groups. Higher examination grades were associated significantly with higher scores on conscientiousness factor of BFI-10 and female gender. There was no difference in self-reported stress or substance use between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

While conscientiousness was associated with better performance, mental health factors were comparable between higher and lower grades in examination. The results highlight the need for further research on personality and modifiable factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression and to evaluate effectiveness of interventional approaches on academic performance.

Study Habits of Highly Effective Medical Students

BACKGROUND

Study habits have been the most significant indicator of academic performance and play a unique role in students' academic accomplishment. The study is aiming to determine the most common study habits of highly successful medical students and their relation to academic achievement.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from September to December 2019 among medical students of both gender from six medical colleges in Saudi Arabia. The students answered the standardized questionnaires to study the different learning habits among medical students, including learning prioritization, knowledge retention strategies, motivation, daily hours of studying, study learning resources.

RESULTS

Six hundred and seventy-five medical students enrolled themselves electively into the study. The results showed a significant correlation between study habits and students' academic accomplishments. The top ten study habits of highly effective medical students are managing their time effectively, they get rid of interruptions (phone, family, friends) that disrupt their daily work, they use goal-setting to determine their most important activities, their daily study hours is ranging between 3 and 4 hours, they study alone for knowledge retention of medical information, learn from multiple sources and invest in technology with high efficiency, they contribute to the teaching of their peers, they study the main lecture slides with notes when no exam is coming, and they study lecture slides with notes and previous exam questions when preparing for upcoming exams; finally, they maintained motivation for self-gratification and fulfillment of their family dreams.

CONCLUSION

This study's outcomes consolidate general study practices that can be credited to learning achievement and expand recognition to inspire less accomplished students by investigating and exploring factors that have enhanced and worked for many accomplished students.

The Impact of Strengthening Study Habits for Medical Students During COVID-19 Academic Transition: a Mixed-Methods Study

PURPOSE

Assess the impact of learner-specific interventions on third-year medical students to cope with quarantine distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We conducted a nested cross-sectional and mixed-methods study in a sample of 81 third-year medical students. Two face-to-face interventions were designed and conducted to offer tools to improve study habits, time management, and prioritizing skills. A nine-item structured questionnaire was administered. Descriptive statistics was performed for the quantitative section and thematic analysis for the qualitative section.

RESULTS

Of the study population, 74.1% (60/81) completed the online questionnaire, 65.4% were female, and the mean age of the sample was 21.4±1.2 years old. Overall, ~50% of participants affirmed that the workshops were useful to improve time management, organize tasks and adapt to the new study modality imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 60% of the students found the application of the provided tools during the interventions (SMART and COMPASS) useful to determine personal values and set a proper mindset for coping with distance learning. Further, 93.3% of the respondents applied the SMART strategy learned to set goals at least once during the confinement time. These findings were also seen in the thematic analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, most of the students found the workshops useful and were able to practice what they had learned during this pandemic lockdown. Medical schools and higher education institutions should evaluate the possibility of formally including study habit preparation for undergraduates' students in order to provide resilience and successful academic adaptation during an ever-changing world.

Pre-clerkship students' perception and learning behavior of online classes during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

PURPOSE

This study aims to analyze pre-clerkship medical students' learning strategies and perceptions in online classes during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

METHODS

To develop the survey items, 20 pre-clerkship students were interviewed about their learning experiences in the first semester of 2020. A total of 425 pre-clerkship students have participated in the survey, which comprised four parts (general experience, learning strategies, important features, and overall satisfaction).

RESULTS

Before classes began, students generally had "neutral expectations" about online classes (2.90 out of 5). At the end of the semester, overall satisfaction with the curriculum was moderate (3.04 out of 5). Premedical students reported lower scores in "daily study hours" and "regular lifestyle" and higher scores in "experience of playing recorded lectures solely for an attendance check" (p<0.001). In addition, first-year premedical students not only showed significantly lower utilization of learning strategies compared to other grades (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Although pre-clerkship students mostly shared similar perceptions and behaviors in their learning regardless of grade level, some characteristics were either more prominent in premedical students on the whole or limited to first-year premedical students.

Nonacademic qualities as predictors of performance in an undergraduate healthcare program

OBJECTIVE

Nonacademic qualities such as time management, study skills, stress, and motivation have been linked to academic performance. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of this relationship to enable early remediation in a chiropractic training program.

METHODS

Questionnaire data were collected at the beginning of the academic year, end of semester 1, and end of semester 2. Questions were related to participants' time management, study skills, stress, and motivation. These were compared to summative assessment results. Semistructured interviews were conducted at the end of semester 1 and end of semester 2.

RESULTS

Amount of time spent studying did not correlate significantly with assessment results. At the beginning of the year, 85.7% of students participated in extracurricular activities. This reduced throughout the year; students who stopped activities were significantly more successful in assessments. When stress at the beginning of the year was compared to end of semester 1, there was a significant increase (p = .012), with further significant increases from semester 1 to the end of semester 2 (p = .001). Students were very motivated at the beginning of the year, and this was maintained to the end of semester 1 (p = .257). However, at the end of semester 2, students became significantly less motivated (p = .007). End-of-year motivation correlated with poor student outcomes (p = .056).

CONCLUSION

Time management, study skills, stress, and motivation influenced academic performance in this sample of students. This study supports the notion that student assistance is needed. Additional research into student assistance would be beneficial.

An evaluation of formative feedback and its impact on undergraduate student nurse academic achievement

Formative feedback is widely considered best pedagogic practice to develop and support deep learning, however evidence to support its use and impact on academic achievement is limited. This module evaluation used formative work submitted to Blackboard©, actual student feedback provided and examination board results detailing final achievement, for 353/115 students on one core module in a UK based undergraduate (UG) programme. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the χ2 test, whilst qualitative data from written feedback provided by academic staff was analysed using thematic content analysis. Findings for this group of students indicates those who submitted formative work were significantly more likely to obtain an A grade while students not submitting formative work were more likely to fail. However both quantitative and qualitative analysis indicated this was independent of the amount of feedback, the nature of feedback or the member of academic staff who provided the feedback. This has interesting implications, if students who submit formative work achieve higher summative grades irrespective of formative feedback provision or individual academic staff member, the value of providing written formative feedback must be questioned, and reasons behind this initial finding require more in depth exploration.

The Association With Physical Fitness and Academic Performance at America's Military Medical School

INTRODUCTION

Undergraduate and graduate medical education both have been reported to have high rates of depression, anxiety, and burnout as a result of the rigors of their educational curricula. Wellness, including physical fitness, is important to the profession because it may help mitigate these increased rates of depression and anxiety. While several studies examine physical fitness and academic performance in primary and secondary education, few studies have examined the association between fitness and performance in health professions education. Given the demands of medical school, this investigation aimed to investigate the possibility of an association between physical fitness and body mass index (BMI) with academic performance. Another goal was to examine the change in physical fitness and BMI throughout medical school.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Standardized measures of physical fitness were examined in 192 Army students from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences over 4 years from the classes of 2017-2019. Measurements include (1) body composition (BMI); (2) muscular endurance (timed push-ups); (3) aerobic endurance (timed run), and (4) total fitness defined as total points from sit-ups, run, and push-ups (everything but BMI). Pearson correlation analysis was conducted between physical fitness and academic performance measures such as United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1, USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK), and average core clerkship National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) exam scores. A repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences of students' fitness total points and BMI over 4 fitness measurements spanning approximately 1.7 years.

RESULTS

There were weak positive correlations, 0.20 and 0.22, between USMLE Step 2 CK exam scores and push-up points and total fitness points, respectively. There also were weak positive correlations, 0.21 and 0.24, between core clerkship average NBME exam scores and push-up points and total fitness points, respectively. No statistically significant change of individual students' fitness total point change was observed (F(2.52, 334.93 = 1.37, P = 0.26)). There was also no individual BMI change (F(2.36, 274.21 = 2.78, P = .06)) over the first four assessment measurements (about 1.7 years lapse). However, the class means over the four measurements showed a decrease of fitness total points and an increase of BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Our investigation suggests that there may be correlations between physical fitness and clinical exam performance such as USMLE Step 2 CK and average core clerkship NBME exams. Although there is no statistically significant change in individual fitness total points or BMI, the study suggests that physical fitness and BMI may decline during medical school. This may be as a result of increasing academic demands while balancing clinical duties from clerkship rotations.

The relationship between insomnia and trait anger and anger expression among adolescents

PROBLEM

Sleeplessness and inadequate sleep may cause an adolescent to experience reduced self-control and behavioral problems that include anger and an inclination toward crime. This study aimed to examine the relationship between insomnia and trait anger and anger expression among adolescents.

METHODS

The study was conducted with 749 students from 27 high schools who were selected by using the stratified cluster sampling method. The data were collected with an Individual Characteristics Form, the Trait Anger/Anger Expression Inventory, and the Insomnia Severity Index.

FINDINGS

The insomnia scores of 14.0% of the participants were over the clinical insomnia threshold of 15 points. A positive relationship was found between insomnia and trait anger, anger-in, anger-out scores but a negative relationship with anger control scores. It was observed that the determinants of the severity of insomnia were trait anger and anger-in, dozing off in class, feeling anger after a sleepless night, sleeping <6 h a night during the week and over the weekend.

CONCLUSION

It was found that 14.0% of the participants experienced insomnia and there was a two-way correlation between insomnia and anger among adolescents.

Medical student well-being during rural clinical placement: A cross-sectional national survey

CONTEXT

Understanding rural student well-being is essential to inform the development and training of the future rural medical workforce so as to ensure a pipeline of rural doctors to meet rural communities' needs. However, little is known about the well-being of students who are on rural placement. This study aims to identify the predictors of well-being amongst a national sample of medical students on rural clinical placement.

METHODS

The Federation of Rural Australian Medical Educators (FRAME) 2015 national exit survey of medical students, completed at the end of rural terms, was used (n = 644) to test the associations between well-being and demographic, financial, academic, supervisor, placement and clinical skills factors, and attitude to future rural work. Univariate and logistic regression were used.

RESULTS

Students aged 18-24 years (odds ratio [OR], 8.07 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 2.07-31.46]) and 25-34 years (OR, 4.06 [95% CI, 1.35-12.18]) reported higher levels of well-being compared to students aged over 35 years. Academic support from the rural clinical school (OR, 5.74 [95% CI, 2.59-12.73]), perceived respect from supervisors (OR, 3.13 [95% CI, 1.23-7.99]), not feeling socially isolated (OR, 2.7 [95% CI, 1.40-5.20]), access to counselling services (OR, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.10-3.83]), rural placement being a first choice (OR, 3.04 [95% CI, 1.58-5.86]) and positive attitudes to being part of a rural workforce in the future (OR, 4.0 [95% CI, 2.0-8.3]) were associated with higher odds of well-being compared to students who felt the opposite. Gender, rural background, financial support, clinical skills and role clarity were not found to be associated with well-being (P > .5).

CONCLUSIONS

This study may provide guidance to rural clinical schools, policymakers and medical educators in developing rural placement programmes that enhance student well-being so we can address workforce shortages in rural areas.

Examining the Relationship Between Biometric Indicators and Pharmacy Students' Academic Performance

Objective. To use a fitness tracking device to track student wellness habits, specifically number of steps, activity, and sleep duration, in an attempt to identify relationships between these variables and academic performance outcomes such as examination scores and course grades. Methods. A fitness tracker was issued to second professional year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students to track their daily number of steps, activity levels, and minutes of sleep. Individual data from these devices were collected using a cloud-based data aggregation platform. The outcome variables of interest were student grade point average (GPA) in core courses, as well as examination grades for 17 examinations administered across eight required courses during the study period. After exploratory analyses, the primary research questions relating steps and sleep to academic performance were addressed with a series of linear regression models. Results. No significant, identifiable relationships were found between examination grades or course GPA and the variables of interest. There was a significant negative relationship between the number of steps students took 72-hours before an examination and performance on the examination where students in the low activity group significantly outperformed those in the high activity group by an average of two points. Participants took an average of 1,466 fewer steps prior to an examination. Conclusion. Sleep and physical activity were not robust predictors of examination scores and course grades in this cohort of PharmD students. While the fitness tracker served as an impetus for the students to be more cognizant of their activity, the capital expenditure for the devices did not result in improved academic performance.

Recommendations of behavioural facilitators for success in a physiotherapy clinical practice module: Successful students' perspectives

Background

Students struggle to bridge the gap between theory and application thereof in clinical settings. Exploring the behaviours of students who have been shown to be successful in the clinical practice module of physiotherapy could provide an insight into what facilitated their success. Sharing this information with other students could assist with decreasing anxiety and improving student success.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to explore behaviours that facilitate student success in a physiotherapy clinical practice module from the perspective of high-achieving students.

Method

Data were collected at the University of the Western Cape's physiotherapy department in South Africa. Ten students with the highest marks in clinical practice from the 2016 and 2017 final-year cohorts were purposively selected and invited to participate in two different Nominal Group Technique (NGT) discussions. In total, 14 students consented to participate in the study. A demographic and socio-economic status questionnaire and an NGT discussion were used to collect data. Participants analysed the NGT discussion data themselves by ranking facilitators in order of priority.

Results

Doing pre-block preparation, self-reflection and having a good rapport with patients as well as personal motivation and coping strategies were identified as the most important behavioural facilitators for physiotherapy students' success in a clinical practice module.

Conclusion

Clinical practice is considered to be the most stressful module for undergraduate physiotherapy students. Considering this, recommendations from previously successful students could contribute towards the success of present and future students and in decreasing the stress associated with clinical practice.

Clinical implications

Recommendations from students on behavioural facilitators that enabled them to be successful in a physiotherapy clinical practice module can assist future students entering clinical practice to be successful in this stressful module. This information is also useful for clinical educators to assist students who struggle, and to recommend potential changes or improvements to the current physiotherapy clinical practice module.

Using a Facebook group to facilitate faculty-student interactions during preclinical medical education: a retrospective survey analysis

BACKGROUND

Strong learner-teacher relationships are associated with more successful learning outcomes. With shortened modular curricula and increased availability of online resources, fostering faculty interaction with preclinical medical students has become more challenging. We sought to enhance learner-teacher relationships by engaging in discussion with preclinical medical students in their own online space.

METHODS

We utilized a closed Facebook discussion group, where faculty and students voluntarily joined in informal discussions and shared announcements related to their courses. The closed discussion group allowed only participating students and faculty to see others' posts within the group. This provided a platform to freely interact within the confines of the group while maintaining privacy for the personal Facebook accounts of both faculty and students. We utilized the discussion group through three separate organ system-based modules for 14 weeks. Afterward, students were asked to complete an anonymous, voluntary online survey about their experience.

RESULTS

94.1% (160/170) of enrolled second-year medical students joined the voluntary FB discussion group. There were 214 posts, 628 comments, and 4166 reactions in this discussion group during the three modules. Of the students in the group, 74.4% (119/160) responded to the online survey. Overall, students strongly agreed that the Facebook discussion group fostered better rapport with faculty, helped content learning, and improved emotional well-being. Also, they felt more comfortable seeking academic help after using the discussion group. They reported a slight preference for Facebook over email as a medium for asking questions, but no preference for either as a medium for distributing announcements. Students overwhelmingly recommended that the discussion group should be continued in future years.

CONCLUSION

The Facebook discussion group was a free, efficient, and effective method of cultivating the learner-teacher relationship with the preclinical medical students, resulting in reported enhancement of learning and morale.

Does self-esteem lead to high achievement of the science college's students? A study from the six health science colleges

Background and objective

Self-esteem refers to a degree to which a person esteem himself or herself, the summation in light of cognizant self-evaluative considerations and feeling or in short as global emotional placement of self. This study investigates the relationship between self-esteem, social factors, and academic achievement in the form of grade point average (GPA) standing for academic achievement in the health science colleges.

Methods

This study is a quantitative cross-sectional design. The study was conducted at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University (PNU), and the participants were health Science Colleges' undergraduate students. The questionnaire is composed of 24 questions in 4 main sections. The self-esteem was evaluated by using a validated Rosenberg Self-Esteem 7-questions Scale used only.

Results

A total of 551 questionnaires were distributed to the students, and 507 of them responded. Out of 507 responded, 7 were excluded due to a lack of the information. 47 (9.4%) were Foundation year students, 109 (21.8%) Medical students, 44 (8.8%) Dental students, 97 (19.4%) Pharmacy students, 101 (20.2%) Nursing students and 102 (20.4%) from Applied science. The students’ overall responses demonstrated that most of the health science students agreed in a positive way of self-esteem (1.68 ± 0.31).

Conclusion

The findings from the current study contribute to the resources to better oversee projects to upgrade health sciences students' self-esteem, some short term courses (i.e. English, personality development and motivation) are requested to boost the academic career and confidence by lifting self-esteem; it indirectly helps to better academic performance. Students also need special counseling for how to deal with stress, anxiety and depression.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Clinical Grading in Medical School

Phenomenon: Performance during the clinical phase of medical school is associated with membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, competitiveness for highly selective residency specialties, and career advancement. Although race/ethnicity has been found to be associated with clinical grades during medical school, it remains unclear whether other factors such as performance on standardized tests account for racial/ethnic differences in clinical grades. Identifying the root causes of grading disparities during the clinical phase of medical school is important because of its long-term impacts on the career advancement of students of color. Approach: To evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and clinical grading, we examined Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) summary words (Outstanding, Excellent, Very Good, Good) and 3rd-year clerkship grades among medical students at the University of Washington School of Medicine. The analysis included data from July 2010 to June 2015. Medical students were categorized as White, underrepresented minorities (URM), and non-URM minorities. Associations between MSPE summary words and clerkship grades with race/ethnicity were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models. Findings: Students who identified as White or female, students who were younger in age, and students with higher United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores or final clerkship written exam scores consistently received higher final clerkship grades. Non-URM minority students were more likely than White students (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.53), confidence interval [0.36, 0.76], p = .001, to receive a lower category MSPE summary word in analyses adjusting for student demographics (age, gender, maternal education), year, and United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 scores. Similarly, in four of six required clerkships, grading disparities (p < .05) were found to favor White students over either URM or non-URM minority students. In all analyses, after accounting for all available confounding variables, grading disparities favored White students. Insights: This single institution study is among the first to document racial/ethnic disparities in MSPE summary words and clerkship grades while accounting for clinical clerkship final written examinations. A national focus on grading disparities in medical school is needed to understand the scope of this problem and to identify causes and possible remedies.

Approaches Towards Professional Studies and Spare-time Activities Among Preclinical and Clinical Year Medical Students

Objective This study aims at a recognition of the differences in the study habits, approach to teaching resources, and spare-time activities of medical students in the preclinical and clinical training periods at King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods Study sampling was carried out in 2017 at the Faculty of Medicine, KAU, Jeddah, SA. Students from both genders were included and further subdivided to preclinical (2^nd and 3^rd years) and clinical groups (4^th, 5^th, and 6^th years). Students were asked to respond to an online questionnaire. SPSS-Version 21 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, US) was utilized for statistical analysis of the collected data, Results Of the 347/500 (response rate 69.4%) medical students, 85 (24.5%) were from the preclinical students (2^nd and 3^rd years), and 262 (64.5%) were enrolled in the clinical group (4^th to 6^th years of MBBS). The majority of students 330 (94.1%) were unmarried, only 17 of them, i.e., 4.9%, were married. Analysis of the data revealed that medical textbooks, essential versions of basic medical books, online resources, and online version of books were used more frequently by the clinical group as compared to the preclinical students. Teacher-provided lecture handouts and lecture notes taken during classes were being equally used by both groups. There was a significant difference in the opinion on the usefulness of different resources between both groups. Students faced difficulty in understanding the English language, observed more in the pre-clinical years as compared to relatively groomed clinical students. The preclinical group could not understand the teaching material in books due to a weaker understanding of the English language. Social media software was used for keeping both groups busy, but clinical students also used social media for academic purposes. More than half of the participants from the preclinical and almost one-third from the clinical years admitted that their teachers recommended them for relevant medical textbooks. An encouraging trend was observed in most preclinical group students: they found teaching modalities, such as problem-based learning (PBL) and other academic activities, as a trigger to promote book reading. Conclusion Our results show that the students in the clinical phase had a more methodical approach to professional studies and a difference in spare-time activities.

Correlation between early clinical exposure environment, attitudes toward basic medicine, and medical students' basic science learning performance

BACKGROUND

Early clinical exposure (ECE) is viewed as a way to provide contexts of basic science and highlight its relevance to medical practice. However, very few studies have specifically looked into how the ECE experience contributes to students' academic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ECE experiences (external cause) or students' learning attitudes (internal cause) more closely correlated with medical students' academic performance.

METHODS

Subjects who participated in the study comprised 109 s-year students at Taipei Medical University. Fifty of the 109 study participants were enrolled in an elective ECE program. The dependent variable in this study was the test score of a systems-based basic sciences (SBBS) course. Independent variables of the study included students' attitudes and test anxiety towards the SBBS course, engagement/length of time spent in ECE, and the ECE learning environment. Data of students' engagement in ECE, levels of their motivational beliefs and test anxiety, differences in the ECE learning environment, and the SBBS final test scores of these 109 respondents were collected for hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) analyses.

RESULTS

Results of the HMR analyses revealed that students' test anxiety towards basic science and also the learning environment of the ECE had significant positive predictive power on their SBBS test scores.

CONCULSION

This study discovers that medical students' academic performance in basic science correlates not only with their anxiety to testing, but even more so with the clinical environment they are exposed to. Hence we suggest including further investigations about different learning environments on ECE experiences in future studies.

Student motivation to learn: is self-belief the key to transition and first year performance in an undergraduate health professions program?

BACKGROUND

Student motivation to learn has been undervalued to date though has been identified as an area influencing student success and retention at university. The transition into university has been highlighted as a key period affecting student outcomes as well as well-being. Early identification of those students at risk may assist the transition for many students moving into higher education. Previous research has identified the Motivation and Engagement Scale - University/College (MES-UC) as a valid instrument for measuring motivation to learn in physiotherapy students. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between a student's motivation to learn on entry into an undergraduate physiotherapy program and their performance through first year. The relationship of admissions scores, to motivation to learn on entry, were also considered, to determine any link between these measures.

METHODS

An observational longitudinal study was conducted on one cohort of undergraduate physiotherapy students commencing their studies in 2015 with a response rate of 67%. Correlations were performed between admission variables and Year 1 MES-UC scoring; and between Year 1 MES-UC scoring and subsequent academic performance across first year, taking into consideration gender and age.

RESULTS

Self-belief was identified as the key dimension of motivation influencing student success in the transition into university. Results identified the link between self-belief scores on entry and academic performance in first year, including grade point average and performance in six of nine courses. Courses where there was no significant relationship were identified as curriculum areas where students may be less motivated. There was a relationship between the admissions interview and MES-UC scoring, demonstrating a link between non-cognitive selection measures and student motivation to learn on entry into the program.

CONCLUSION

Motivation to learn and specifically self-belief with learning, may be influential in the transition into higher education. Undertaking measures of academic motivation may be useful to determine student engagement with curriculum, through identifying any link between student self-belief and performance in specific courses. Changes to curriculum based on student motivation as well as targeting early those students with reduced self-belief may improve student success, psychosocial wellbeing and retention.

Medical students' preferences towards learning resources and their study habits at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the present study was to explore why our medical students are avoiding the study of professional textbooks. We conducted this study from 10th March to 15th May 2017 at the King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, to investigate their preferences towards learning resources, their study habits and correlation of academic achievements as a result of these trends. A questionnaire was provided as a web link. The participants of the study included medical students and data was analyzed on SPSS-Version 21.

RESULTS

A total of 347/500 medical students participated in the study. Among our participants, there were 123 (35.5%) males and 224 (64.6%) were females. Female students' spent most of their time reading textbooks as compared to males (P-value = 0.001). Males mostly preferred the lecture handouts provided by their teachers. One-third of students admitted that, due to lack of a good grasp of English, they do not readily understand textbooks and consequently 67 (19.3%) students' showed a lack of interest in textbooks. Majority of the males 103 (84%) spent twice a time (66 vs. 33%) watching television as compared to the females. WhatsApp and Facebook kept both the sexes busy in most of their spare time.

The influence of different curriculum designs on students' dropout rate: a case study

The relationship between students' withdrawal and educational variables has generated a considerable number of publications. As the explosion of information in sciences and integration theories led to creating different curriculum designs, it has been assumed that differences among designs explain academic success and, therefore, students' retention. However, little attention has been given to examine explicitly how diverse designs influence dropout rates in practice, which questions if decisions to reform curricula are sufficiently informed. This article describes our curriculum reform, which exposes our former and current curriculum designs as having had dissimilar dropout percentages. Furthermore, we aimed to explore the influence of different curriculum designs on students' dropout rates. The conclusion is that dropout variations may be explained not only because of the curriculum design itself, but also because of the power relationship changes between teachers and students that brought out the design change. Consequently, more research is needed to fully understand the political implications of different curriculum designs and their influence on dropout rates.

Factors Facilitating Academic Success in Dental Students After Initial Failure: A Qualitative Study

Most previous research on academic failure has sought to understand the reasons students failed. The aim of this study was to identify factors that led to academic success for dental students who had previously failed written examinations, using interviews based on Appreciative Inquiry (AI). The AI approach led the investigators to focus on positive aspects of what helped students overcome failure, rather than the reasons for it. Students in this qualitative study, conducted in 2016 at a dental college in India, completed a questionnaire with six open-ended questions and participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling identified 25 students as possible participants; 21 volunteered to participate; and data saturation was reached after interviews with 15. Four key themes were identified in the data collected. On the theme of learning strategies, participants mentioned modifying their attitude toward studying and making it learning-oriented. On the theme of resources, participants reported strategies for obtaining books, others' notes, and teachers' guides to help with studying. In the third theme, psychological aspects, students reported methods used to motivate themselves to succeed after failing. The fourth theme, environmental factors, concerned the key means of support provided by parents, teachers, and seniors/peers. All the students reported that the failure had been a turning point and that overcoming it had boosted their self-confidence. One student said he learned to "never give up and keep trying till you succeed," and most spoke of continuing the best practices they learned. These findings suggest that knowledge-oriented studying, conceptual learning, appropriate study material, internal motivation, and support of parents, teachers, and peers may help dental students overcome failure.

Native English speakers and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' performance and notetaking in a Doctor of Pharmacy health systems course

BACKGROUND

Academic pharmacy programs continue to diversify in student population. While the challenges of non-native language speakers have been opined, there is scant research on their performance in comparison with native language speakers nor is there much information on differences in the processes used in academic preparation, such as on note-taking.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify differences in test performance between native English speakers and students for whom English is a foreign language (EFL) in a health systems PharmD course, and (2) examine differences between these two groups in note-taking attitudes and behaviors.

METHODS

Students' self-reported data as native English-speaking or EFL were acquired from the University Office of Admissions. Students' performance was measured on examinations covering lecture content, with independent-sample t tests discerning differences on all 3 examinations. T-tests were also used to ascertain differences on examination scores by student race/ethnicity and on differences in their response to a survey on attitudes, behaviors, and satisfaction with note-taking.

RESULTS

EFL students scored significantly lower on the latter two examinations and on the average of the three examinations by over 7%. EFL students reported lower satisfaction with the accuracy and completeness of their notes and indicated that peers were less likely to borrow their notes. They also reported being more likely to be distracted in class by peers' laptop note-taking, even though there were many similarities between the two groups in how they approached note-taking.

CONCLUSIONS

EFL student performance was lower than that of native English speakers on examinations. EFL students were less satisfied with the quality of their notes. Further research is needed to identify effective strategies for improving the learning experience of EFL students. Academic administration can identify mechanisms to facilitate a learning environment conducive for their success.

Study habits and academic achievement among medical students: A comparison between male and female subjects

PURPOSE

Study habits of medical students contribute to better understanding learner achievement and success. This study examines the relationship between study habits, including gender and nonacademic factors that affect learning, to investigate their relationship with performance outcomes.

METHODS

This study was conducted in March 2015 at the College of Medicine and Applied Medical Science at Taif University. A survey was administered, measuring study habits such as study time, study partners, source of study, breaks, study interruptions, difficulty concentrating, study activity, and delayed study. Comparisons were examined by high and low grade point average (GPA) and by gender.

RESULTS

A total of 257 students completed the questionnaire (59% high GPA and 41% low GPA; 50% males and 50% females). Results indicated significant differences for time of study, study materials, study interruptions, study enjoyment between students of high and low GPAs. Gender differences were found for study time, study methods, study breaks, student activity, and delayed study time.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that study habits differ by gender and also have significant impact on performance outcomes of learners. Given that students' academic success is an important outcome for medical schools, these findings call for implementing these results to enhance curricular changes and promote better learning outcomes.

Predictors of academic performance in the discipline specific bioscience paper: A retrospective quantitative study [corrected]

INTRODUCTION

The cohort of students enrolled in the discipline-specific bioscience paper reflects a structural diversity in that it includes students of multiple ethnicities, varied age groups, differing scholastic and life experiences. These divergent identities of students are known to influence academic performance. The purpose of this retrospective quantitative study was to determine the ability of a set of variables such as age, gender, ethnicity, level of prior education, the place from which prior education was obtained, work experience and prior academic achievement to predict academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper.

METHOD

The sample for this study was a purposive sample of all oral health students who had enrolled in the paper at the Auckland University of Technology from 2011 to 2014. The desensitised empirical data of 116 students from the University's database were subject to multivariable regression analysis. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated.

RESULTS

Prior academic achievement was a statistically significant predictor variable (P < 0.001) for the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper and was also positively correlated (r = 0.641, P < 0.001) to the grades in the discipline-specific bioscience paper.

CONCLUSION

Prior academic achievement was the only variable that was demonstrated to be correlated to and predictive of the academic performance in the discipline-specific bioscience paper.

Rethinking pain education

EBN engages readers through a range of Online social media activities to debate issues important to nurses and nursing. EBN Opinion papers highlight and expand on these debates.

Sleep difficulties in college students: The role of stress, affect and cognitive processes

Previous research indicates that sleep difficulties and stress are prevalent in college students. The main aim of the current study was to investigate the role of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), cognitive emotion regulation, and negative affect as mediators of the relationship between stress and sleep difficulties. We also intended to analyse the associations between all these variables and the gender differences. A sample of 549 college students completed self-report measures assessing the mentioned variables. Descriptive and correlational analyses showed significant differences between genders. In total sample, sleep difficulties were positively associated with perceived stress, negative affect, RNT and cognitive emotional strategies (rumination, self-blaming, catastrophizing, and acceptance). Mediation analyses suggested that in addition to the direct effect of stress on sleep difficulties, rumination and negative affect were important mediators in this relationship (after controlling gender). RNT did not mediate this association; however it was significantly associated to rumination and/or negative affect. These findings suggest that the effect of stress on sleep difficulties is strengthened by rumination and/or negative affect. The negative impact of RNT (content free) only occurs if associated to rumination and/or negative affect.

Social studying and learning among medical students: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Medical students study in social groups, which influence their learning, but few studies have investigated the characteristics of study groups and the impacts they have on students' learning. A scoping review was conducted on the topic of informal social studying and learning within medical education with the aim of appraising what is known regarding medical student attitudes to group study, the impact of group study on participants, and the methods that have been employed to study this.

METHODS

Using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review principles, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched, along with hand-searching and a targeted search of the grey literature; 18 peer reviewed and 17 grey literature records were included.

RESULTS

Thematic conceptual analysis identified a number of themes, including: the nature of group study; the utility and value of group studying including social learning facilitating student engagement, social learning as a source of motivation and accountability, and social learning as a source of wellbeing; and student preferences related to group studying, including its homophilic nature, transgressiveness, and effectiveness. Despite these emerging factors, the evidence base for this phenomenon is small.

DISCUSSION

The findings in this scoping review demonstrate a clear role for social interaction outside of the classroom, and encourage us to consider the factors in student networking, and the implications of this on medical students' academics. We also highlight areas in need of future research to allow us to better situate informal social learning within medical education and to enable educators to support this phenomenon.

Sleep quantity, quality, and insomnia symptoms of medical students during clinical years. Relationship with stress and academic performance

Objectives:

To determine sleep habits and sleep quality in medical students during their clinical years using validated measures; and to investigate associations with academic performance and psychological stress.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, medical students (n=320) were randomly selected from a list of all enrolled clinical-year students in a Saudi medical school from 2011-2012. Students filled a questionnaire including demographic and lifestyle factors, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Perceived Stress Scale.

Results:

Students acquired on average, 5.8 hours of sleep each night, with an average bedtime at 01:53. Approximately 8% reported acquiring sleep during the day, and not during nighttime. Poor sleep quality was present in 30%, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in 40%, and insomnia symptoms in 33% of students. Multivariable regression models revealed significant associations between stress, poor sleep quality, and EDS. Poorer academic performance and stress were associated with symptoms of insomnia.

Conclusion:

Sleep deprivation, poor sleep quality, and EDS are common among clinical years medical students. High levels of stress and the pressure of maintaining grade point averages may be influencing their quality of sleep.

Students’ academic reading preferences: An exploratory study

The e-book reader revolution is already here. The questions we asked ourselves were: What are the reading preferences of Information Science students at the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century? How do different variables, such as relative advantage, comprehension, and learning strategies affect students’ reading preferences? The research was conducted in Israel during the first semester of the 2015 academic year and encompassed 177 Library and Information Science students in an Information Science Department in Israel. Three questionnaires were used: personal details, relative advantage, and learning strategies, and two further questions that focused on reading habits. The study showed students’ preferences for printed materials. In addition, it emphasizes the importance of two personal variables that may affect students’ will to read electronic materials: relative advantage and comprehension.

Physical activity and academic achievement among the medical students: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To explore physical activity (PA) habits among the medical students and examine the correlation with their grade point average (GPA) achievement at College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the medical students (n = 409), during the academic year 2012-2013. Students' physical activity habits were self-reported. GPA, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent (BF%) were collected and analyzed with SPSS software.

RESULTS

Out of 409 students, 193 (47.2%) students reported being physically active. Our result showed a significant positive association between students' PA habits and high-GPA achievement (χ(2 )= 10.65, p = 0.001). The greatest odds ratio of high GPA was found among the fourth year students (OR = 3.08, CI: 1.15-8.28, p = 0.025) and fifth year students (OR = 5.07, CI: 1.48-17.31, p = 0.010). In addition, significant association was found between the normal BMI and high-GPA achievers (χ(2 )= 8.30; p = 0.016). However, no statistically, significant association was found between BF% and GPA.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed a positive associations was found between PA habits and high academic achievement. In addition, positive association was found between PA, obese students and GPA achievement. Therefore, there is a need for the establishment of physical activity education and public health programs to promote importance of PA in Saudi population.

Students' perception towards the problem based learning tutorial session in a system-based hybrid curriculum

Objectives:

To evaluate students’ perception towards the problem based learning (PBL) session in a system-based hybrid curriculum.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study in the College of Medicine, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. The survey questionnaire was self-administered, and examined perceptions of PBL session benefits, appropriate running of sessions, and tutor’s roles.

Results:

Out of 510 students, 275 (53.9%) completed the questionnaire. Most of the students reported that PBL sessions were helpful in understanding basic sciences concepts (p=0.04). In addition, they agreed that PBL sessions increased their knowledge of basic sciences (p=0.01). Most students reported that PBL sessions encouraged self-directed learning, collaborative learning, and improved decision making skills. However, 54.5% of students reported lack of proper training before starting the PBL sessions, and only 25.1% of students agreed that the teaching staff are well prepared to run the sessions. Most students used the internet (93.1%), lecture notes (76.7%), and books (64.4%) as learning resources. Most students reported repetition of topics between PBL sessions and lectures (p=0.07).

Conclusion:

The study highlighted the significant role of PBL in a system-based hybrid curriculum and helped students improve their knowledge and different learning skills. Students and staff training is required before the utilizing the PBL as an instructional method.

Self-reported extracurricular activity, academic success, and quality of life in UK medical students

OBJECTIVES

To explore the relationship between academic performance, extracurricular activity, and quality of life at medical school in the UK to aid our understanding of students' work-life balance.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire distributed to UK final year medical students across 20 medical schools (4478 students). Participants reported the hours of self-regulated learning and extracurricular activities undertaken each year at medical school; along with their academic decile (1 = highest, 10 = lowest). Self-reported quality of life (QoL) was assessed using an established screening tool (7 = highest, 1 = lowest).

RESULTS

Seven hundred responses were obtained, across 20 participating medical schools, response rate 16% (700/4478). Factors associated with higher academic achievement were: graduate entry course students (2 deciles higher, p < 0.0001), more hours academic study during term and revision periods (rho=-0.1, p < 0.01), and involvement in teaching or research. Increased hours of study was associated with lower QoL (rho = -0.13, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Study skills may be more important than duration spent studying, for academic achievement and QoL. Graduate-entry students attain higher decile scores despite similar self-reported duration of study.

Exploring the Transition to Practice for the Newly Credentialed Athletic Trainer: A Programmatic View

CONTEXT

Some newly credentialed athletic trainers (ATs) pursue a postprofessional degree with a curriculum that specifically advances their athletic training practice. It is unknown how those postprofessional programs assist in their transition to practice.

OBJECTIVE

To gain an understanding of initiatives used by postprofessional athletic training programs to facilitate role transition from student to professional during their graduate degree programs.

DESIGN

Qualitative study.

SETTING

Semistructured telephone interviews.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

A total of 19 program directors (10 men, 9 women) from 13 Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education-accredited and 6 unaccredited postprofessional athletic training programs.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Telephone interviews were recorded digitally and transcribed verbatim. For data analysis, we used the principles of general inductive approach. Credibility was maintained using peer review, member checks, and researcher triangulation.

RESULTS

Three facilitators of transition to practice emerged: orientation sessions, mentoring, and assistantship. Participants used orientation sessions ranging from a few hours to more than 1 week to provide and discuss program polices and expectations and to outline roles and responsibilities. Faculty, preceptors, and mentors were integrated into the orientation for the academic and clinical portions of the program. All participants described a mentoring process in which students were assigned by the program or informally developed. Mentors included the assigned preceptor, a staff AT, or peer students in the program. The clinical assistantship provided exposure to the daily aspects of being an AT. Barriers to transition to practice included previous educational experiences and time management. Participants reported that students with more diverse didactic and clinical education experiences had easier transitions. The ability to manage time also emerged as a challenge.

CONCLUSIONS

Postprofessional athletic training programs used a formal orientation session as an initial means to help the newly credentialed AT transition into the role. Mentoring provided both more informal and ongoing support during the transition.