Pre‐Clinical Medical Students' Use of Motivational and Cognitive Study Strategies During Anatomy Learning: A Three‐Year Cross‐Sectional Survey

Zilundu, Prince L M; Chibhabha, Fidelis; Yu, Guo; Fu, Rao; Zhou, Ling

doi:10.1002/ase.2070

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 84 publications

(134 reference statements)

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“…Intrinsic Value (IV) and SR, are among some of the student-dependent elements with potential to accelerate learning [ 8 ]. Consistent with previous data, our population presented very high IV score and high SR score [ 12 , 13 ]. Although the relationship with academic results shows conflicting results [ 12 – 14 ], in our cohort above-average students had statistically significant higher SR score.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“What medical students with better academic results do: a cross-sectional analysis”

et al. 2023

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Background With university material doubling over time, medical students need to learn how to become successful life-long learners. Overall a Deep Approach (DA) to learning, and Self-Regulation (SR) skills are among the elements with a potential to accelerate learning, and Student Engagement (SE) has been associated with better university outcomes. However, specific recommendations concerning what students should do are lacking. The aim of this study was to identify above-average students’ specific attitudes and strategies toward learning. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of the answers to the validated questionnaires Revised Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F), SE, and Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) of 155 s and third-year students included in a prospective interventional study in the University of Navarre in September 2020 was performed. Students were stratified according to their standardized average mean in above-average (mean > 0) and below-average (mean ≤ 0). Results Overall, 67.1% of students scored higher in DA than in Surface Approach (SA) and had very high Intrinsic Value (IV, median 5.9). A higher proportion of above-average students had DA > SA score (72.7% vs 57.1%, p = 0.05), and showed higher scores in SR (median 4.9 vs 4.3, p = 0.007) compared to below-average, while the latter scored higher in SA (median 24.5 vs 23, p = 0.04), and surface motive (median 11 vs 9, p = 0.007). No differences were found in SE, and both groups had average scores in the cooperative dimension. Differences were rooted to hard work, interest over material and prioritizing understanding over rote-learning motives and aligned strategies. Conclusions Curricula design and assessment should be aligned to promote DA and SR skills among learners. Furthermore, it is paramount that teachers help instill students with interest over material and encourage understanding and hard work, since are traits associated with better results. More studies concerning metacognition and other promising traits for becoming life-long learners and prepared professionals should be made.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“What medical students with better academic results do: a cross-sectional analysis”

et al. 2023

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“…In a study of anatomy learning strategies, most preclinical students relied on elaboration ahead of other cognitive strategies and lowest rated critical thinking, and relied more on resource management, effort, time, and regulation of the learning environment rather than the moderately rated peer learning and help seeking. Nevertheless, in focus groups, they reported that they often narrated or explained to each other what they understood from anatomy lectures, tutorials, and textbooks (Zilundu et al, 2021). In the present study, all students used online materials to prepare their presentations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body painting, ultrasound, clinical examination, and peer‐teaching: A student‐centered approach to enhance musculoskeletal anatomy learning

Bilella,

Eppler,

Link

et al. 2023

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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The presented course, established 2016 as a compulsory elective for 22nd‐year bachelor medical students, aimed to enhance deep learning of upper and lower limb anatomy from a clinical perspective by a maximum of student‐centered activities combining hands‐on skills training with team‐learning. Three cohorts (in total 60 students) participated in this study. Students rotated through body painting, ultrasound, and clinical investigation supervised by faculty or an experienced clinician. Teams of 3‐4 students prepared presentations on clinical anatomy and pathological conditions, which by teacher‐ and peer assessments on average achieved >85% (mean 17.8/20 points ± 1.06). After each activity session, the students reported their learning experience through a reflective diary. Fifty students (83%) evaluated the course by a voluntary anonymous questionnaire combining Likert‐type scale and free‐text questions to assess, predominantly, perception of course activities and their perceived influence on learning anatomy. Journal reports and questionnaires revealed that the students highly valued the course, and 92% (29 females, 17 males) rated group work satisfying or well‐perceived. The highest appreciation achieved ultrasound followed by clinical examination and body painting, which one third proposed to integrate into the regular dissection course. All students recommended the course to their younger peers. This course was feasible to integrate in the pre‐existing curriculum. Limiting factors to offer this elective course to more students are availability of clinical teachers, technical equipment, and education rooms. Being student‐directed tasks, body painting and reflective diary‐writing would be feasible to implement without additional faculty, which we recommend to educators for student engagement activation.

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“…The focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data analysis followed Grounded Theory as spelled out previously (Zilundu et al, 2022). Grounded theory is an inductive, comparative methodology that offers orderly guiding principles used to gather, synthesize, analyze, and conceptualize qualitative data for theory construction that was developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The researchers sat together and read successive focus group discussion responses searching for meanings, recognizable patterns, or ideas in the responses of participants that were relevant to motivation and study strategies used by the students in studying anatomy. Disagreements between researchers were resolved through discussion to reach a consensus as reported previously (Zilundu et al, 2022).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical students' perceptions and performance in an online regional anatomy course during the Covid‐19 pandemic

Zhang

Zilundu

et al. 2022

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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The present study evaluated the students' psychological well-being, experiences, performance, and perception of learning regional anatomy remotely. A regional anatomy remote learning curriculum was designed and learning materials were delivered virtually to 120 undergraduate medical students at Jinan University, China. All the students consented and voluntarily participated in this study by completing self-administered online questionnaires including the Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety and Depression Scales at the beginning and end of the learning session. A subset participated in focus group discussions. Most of the students (90.0%) positively evaluated the current distance learning model. More than 80% were satisfied with the content arrangement and coverage. Many students preferred virtual lectures (68.2%) and videos showing dissections (70.6%) during the distance learning sessions. However, writing laboratory reports and case-based learning were the least preferred modes of learning as they were only preferred by 23.2% and 14.1% of the students, respectively. There was no significant lockdown-related anxiety or depression reported by students using depression and anxiety scales as well as feedback from focus group discussions. The surveyed students' confidence scores in distance learning were significantly higher after 5 weeks than at the beginning of the session (3.05 ± 0.83 vs. 3.70 ± 0.71, P < 0.05).Furthermore, the present results showed no significant differences between the current group's academic performance in the unit tests as well as the final overall evaluation for different parts of the course compared to that of the previous year's cohort.The findings above were congruent with focus group discussion data that the use of the online teaching platform for regional anatomy significantly improved the students' confidence in virtual and self-directed learning and did not negatively affect their academic performance.

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Pre‐Clinical Medical Students' Use of Motivational and Cognitive Study Strategies During Anatomy Learning: A Three‐Year Cross‐Sectional Survey

Cited by 12 publications

References 84 publications

“What medical students with better academic results do: a cross-sectional analysis”

“What medical students with better academic results do: a cross-sectional analysis”

Body painting, ultrasound, clinical examination, and peer‐teaching: A student‐centered approach to enhance musculoskeletal anatomy learning

Medical students' perceptions and performance in an online regional anatomy course during the Covid‐19 pandemic

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