Approach to learning and its correlation with the academic performance among medical undergraduate students

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the approach of learning among medical students and to determine its correlation with their university exam scores.
Methodology: Cross sectional study involving 322 medical students. The approach to learning was assessed using including ASSIST questionnaire and academic performance was determined by results of the previous year university examinations.
Results: 322 MBBS students participated in the study, out of whom 71.1% were females and 28.9% were males and females were predominantly deep learners and males were predominantly surface learners and it was found to be statistically significant (p value= 0.008) in comparing gender and approach to learning. Students predominantly used deep and strategic approaches to studying and there was a slight preference for a supporting understanding type of teaching which is related to deep approach. Approaches to learning differ among different phases of MBBS students and also among the academic (regular/ additional) batches. Deep and strategic learners had better percentage marks compared to surface learners and the results of ANOVA test indicated highly significant difference in percentage marks between the different approaches to learning (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The most frequent approach adopted by students being a deep approach is favourable in terms of medical education. The findings suggest a positive correlation between learning approach and academic performance where students with a deep approach achieve a higher performance and vice versa. Therefore it is recommended that motivating medical undergraduates towards a deeper approach of learning would be beneficial to them in achieving the expected long term goals.