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Evaluation of Doctors’ Performance as Facilitators
in Basic Medical Science Lecture Classes in a New
Malaysian Medical School
Mainul Haque1, Salwani Ismail1, Abdus Salam2, Ahmed G Alattraqchi 1, Lakshmi Annamalai1, Annamalai
Chockalingam1, Wan Putri Elena3, Nor Iza A Rahman1, Abdullahi Rabiu Abubakar1
1Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, 2Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 3Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.
Background: Didactic lecture is the oldest and most commonly
used method of teaching. In addition, it is considered one of the
most efficient ways to disseminate theories, ideas, and facts. Many
critics feel that lectures are an obsolete method to use when
students need to perform hands-on activities, which is an everyday
need in the study of medicine. This study evaluates students’
perceptions regarding lecture quality in a new medical school.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted of the
medical students of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin. The study
population was 468 preclinical medical students from years 1
and 2of academic year 2012–2013. Data were collected using a
validated instrument. There were six different sections of questions
using a 5-point Likert scale. The data were then compiled and
analyzed, using SPSS version 20.Results: The response rate was
73%. Among 341 respondents, 30% were male and 70% were
female. Eighty-five percent of respondents agree or strongly agree
that the lectures had met the criteria with regard to organization of
lecture materials. Similarly, 97%of students agree or strongly
agree that lecturers maintained adequate voices and gestures.
Conclusion: Medical students are quite satisfied with the lecture
classes and the lectures. However, further research is required to
identify student-centered teaching and learning methods to
promote active learning.
Abstract
Introduction
This was a cross-sectional study conducted on medical students
from Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin. The study population was 468
preclinical medical students from years 1 and 2of academic year
2012–2013. A universal sampling method was used to cover all
preclinical students. The period of study was March–May 2013.
The questionnaire was adopted, modified, and validated from the
previous study.19 The questionnaire consists of six different
sections on a 5-point Likert scale. The first five sections contained
28 questions and five options to choose from and circle. The sixth
section contained one closed and two open-ended questions. This
study was anonymous, participation was voluntary, and verbal
consent was taken. The study was approved by the Preclinical
Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti
Sultan Zainal Abidin, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. The
questionnaires were distributed to the students during a lecture
class. The data were then compiled and analyzed, using SPSS
version 20. Most of the sections of this questionnaire
demonstrated acceptable values, with a range between 0.672 and
0.882, which indicated that both instruments possessed good
internal consistency and reliability. The evidence of convergent
validity was shown by the significant correlations between the
items of each section and the total mean in each section
(rs=0.332–0.718;P,0.05).
Methods and Materials
Eighty-six percent of research contributors agreed that their
facilitators met the learning objectives within the lecture. Thus,
the current study findings were similar to the work and advice
of other educational experts. The quality of the lecture
classes, and especially the physical facilities, also influences
the learning process. Seventy-four percent of our study
participants agreed that their lecture class physical facilities
were adequate. Finally, our study participants suggested
interactive sessions would improve the quality of lecture
classes. This finding is similar to that of a number of other
studies. This is a cross-sectional study with its own integral
constraints. The current study has found many positive things
about the quality of lecture classes, and our students also
decided that lecture classes are the most satisfactory and
helpful method of teaching. Therefore, it can be deduced that
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin lecturers were maintaining a
high standard of instruction.
Discussion
The medical student participants were quite satisfied with the
existing lecture-dominated curriculum. It seems that our
preclinical students were also happy with the current quality of
the lectures. Lecture is still the major method of teaching in
medical schools and many other disciplines globally, as it is
the most cost-effective form of instruction. More studies
evaluating students’ acceptance of and the efficiency of
lectures compared with newer modes of teaching are
necessary, and further research is required to identify student-
centered teaching and learning methods to promote active
learning.
Conclusions
Attaining student satisfaction is a major aim of lecturing as a
medium of instruction in all institutions of higher learning,
especially medical schools. Attending an institution that cannot
provide an effective means of teaching and learning will
definitely affect students’ academic performance and the
school’s reputation, as well as students’ intake in the near
future.1Lectures as a medium of instruction consist of various
aspects, including knowledge of the course, clarity of
presentation, interaction with students, teaching creativity,
clarifying outcome, and class activity, as well as satisfactory
lecture notes. Although sometimes learning can take place
without the benefit of teaching, there is no such thing as
effective teaching in the absence of learning. Assessment of
students in a classroom is very significant: It focuses on
evaluating the students’ understanding of the lecture, based
on the intention of the lecturer. The major challenge in any
medical school is that the lecturer needs to deliver an
enormous amount of information within a short period of time,
and the students are expected to understand and memorize
what they were taught throughout their career. Therefore, it is
necessary for medical schools to keep upgrading their
teaching and learning curriculum, tailored toward student-
centered learning, team-based learning, and problem-based
learning, as well as use an interactive lecture class system.
The objectives of our research were to assess the
organization of the materials used in lecture classes, to
evaluate the voices and gestures used in delivering the
lectures, to assess the efficiency of visual aids and resources,
to evaluate the fulfillment of lecture class objectives, and to
assess the quality of the lecture venue.
Results
Correspondence
Mainul Haque
Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
Medical Campus, Jalan Sultan Mahmud
20400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia
Email: runurono@gmail.com
This Poster Presentation is Published in Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 31 March 2015 Volume 2015:6 Pages 231—237. https://www.dovepress.com/evaluation-of-doctors39-performance-as-facilitators-in-basic-medical-s-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP