Perceptions of Physiotherapy students about their teaching environment at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi (original) (raw)
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The identification of the learning environment and the understanding of how students learn will help teacher to facilitate learning and plan a curriculum to achieve the learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate physiotherapy clinical students' perception of University of Ibadan's learning environment. Using the quantitative research approach, a cross-sectional survey design was used in this study with data collected through the completion of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire by 54 consenting undergraduate physiotherapy clinical students in the University of Ibadan who have had clinical education for at least one semester. The mean 131/200 indicated that the physiotherapy clinical students' perceptions of their learning environment were "more positive than negative". Use of score descriptors for the subscale scores for the DREEM indicated that students' perception of learning was positive, and their perceptions of the teachers were that they were "moving in the right direction". Their academic self-perception was positive, as was their perception of the atmosphere. The students' social self-perception was "not too bad". Only six out of the 50 items were reported to have mean scores of less than 2.00, this implies that the items should be examined more closely, as they indicate problem areas. This study has provided useful information on student perceptions of their learning environment by using the DREEM inventory. The overall DREEM mean score indicating that the perceptions of the clinical physiotherapy students of their learning environment were "more positive than negative". Note: "..." = direct quotes from DREEM measure.
Physiotherapy Clinical Students' Perception of Learning Environment in a Nigerian University
A favourable environment has a positive and significant impact on students' learning, academic progress and well-being. The present study was undertaken to identify the perceptions of physiotherapy students in their clinical years of their learning environment at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods. A focus group discussion involving 12 undergraduate physiotherapy students was used to obtain information about their perception of their learning environment. Six students from two clinical levels of study were recruited through a simple random sampling technique. The focus interview guide was developed based on information obtained from the DREEM questionnaire and literature review. The interviews were analysed using the identified themes from DREEM and grounded theory for emerging subcategories. Results. Five descriptive themes and several subcategories were identified: (i) context of learning (course objectives, student focused/teacher centred, active learning); (ii) context of teachers (knowledgeable teachers, provision of formative assessment, approachable lecturers, cordial teacher-student relationship); (iii) context of students' perception of their academic skills (understanding the subject); (iv) context of atmosphere (adequacy of facilities, e.g. chairs, classrooms, library, books); and (v) context of social life (religious activities, social functions, school-related social activities). Conclusion. Most students perceived their learning environment as good, especially with regard to student-teacher relationships. Some of the teachers were described as knowledgeable, and as providing formative assessment. However, students perceived their learning as being teacher centred. To facilitate an excellent learning environment, particular attention needs to be paid to availability of physiotherapy textbooks in the college library, sufficient appropriate furniture in classrooms, and provision of a functioning departmental library. The findings from this study may provide insights for teachers who wish to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching and of their students' learning.
Physiotherapy clinical students’ perception of their learning environment: A Nigerian perspective
Article, 2014
Background. A favourable environment has a positive and significant impact on students’ learning, academic progress and well-being. The present study was undertaken to identify the perceptions of physiotherapy students in their clinical years of their learning environment at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods. A focus group discussion involving 12 undergraduate physiotherapy students was used to obtain information about their perception of their learning environment. Six students from two clinical levels of study were recruited through a simple random sampling technique. The focus interview guide was developed based on information obtained from the DREEM questionnaire and literature review. The interviews were analysed using the identified themes from DREEM and grounded theory for emerging subcategories. Results. Five descriptive themes and several subcategories were identified: (i) context of learning (course objectives, student focused/teacher centred, active learning); (ii) context of teachers (knowledgeable teachers, provision of formative assessment, approachable lecturers, cordial teacher-student relationship); (iii) context of students’ perception of their academic skills (understanding the subject); (iv) context of atmosphere (adequacy of facilities, e.g. chairs, classrooms, library, books); and (v) context of social life (religious activities, social functions, school-related social activities). Conclusions. Most students perceived their learning environment as good, especially with regard to student-teacher relationships. Some of the teachers were described as knowledgeable, and as providing formative assessment. However, students perceived their learning as being teacher centred. To facilitate an excellent learning environment, particular attention needs to be paid to availability of physiotherapy textbooks in the college library, sufficient appropriate furniture in classrooms, and provision of a functioning departmental library. The findings from this study may provide insights for teachers who wish to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching and of their students’ learning.
Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 2019
(UL) due to the unbundling from UL. In 2016, physiotherapy students of SMU complained about deficiencies in their academic achievements and learning. This incident inspired a study to determine perceptions and experiences of physiotherapy students towards their academic learning environment and to measure their academic performances. The study used a mix of quantitative and qualitative descriptive design. It used a questionnaire to collect data variables on student satisfaction concerning items of learning and teaching. Analysis of data depended on graphical displays and descriptive statistics. Study participants were registered SMU physiotherapy students making the total population size of 181 distributed as 47 first years, 51 second years, 39 third years and 44 fourth years. The study found a high level of discontent with teaching conduct. Various deficiencies were identified from the student's viewpoint. The study concluded that majority of students were dissatisfied with lecturing methods, academic conduct and the entire learning environment.
Students\u27 Perception of the Educational Environment in an Indian Physiotherapy College
2019
Purpose: Educational environment has a significant impact on students\u27 behavior, academic progress and quality of learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students’ perception of their learning environment in an Indian physiotherapy college and compare their perceptions in terms of demographic attributes and academic level. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 undergraduate physiotherapy students. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), a 50-item, self-administered inventory was employed to assess the student’s perception of learning environment. It comprises of five domains: students’ perceptions of learning; students’ perceptions of teachers; students’ academic self-perceptions; students’ perceptions of atmosphere and students’ social self-perceptions. Descriptive statistics, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze data. P-value \u3c 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The mean DREEM score was 122.66 ±...
Students' Perception of the Educational Environment in an Indian Physiotherapy College
The Internet journal of allied health sciences and practice, 2019
Purpose: Purpose: Educational environment has a significant impact on students' behavior, academic progress and quality of learning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the students' perception of their learning environment in an Indian physiotherapy college and compare their perceptions in terms of demographic attributes and academic level. Methods: Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 420 undergraduate physiotherapy students. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM), a 50-item, self-administered inventory was employed to assess the student's perception of learning environment. It comprises of five domains: students' perceptions of learning; students' perceptions of teachers; students' academic self-perceptions; students' perceptions of atmosphere and students' social self-perceptions. Descriptive statistics, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze data. P-value < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Results: The mean DREEM score was 122.66 ± 17.39 reflecting a more of positive than negative educational environment in this institution. There was a significant difference in the overall DREEM score (p = 0.000) based on the year of study with highest mean score in first year (127.57 ± 13.81). Evaluating the sub-domains of perception, the students in all the years had a more positive perception of learning (29.22 ± 5.35), their perception of teachers moved in the right direction (26.52 ± 5.05), their academic self-perception was more on the positive side (21.23± 3.72), they had a more positive perception of atmosphere (28.56± 5.64) and their social self-perception could be graded as not too bad (17.13 ±3.08). No significant gender difference was noted for overall DREEM score and all domain scores. Conclusion: Conclusion: The present study revealed that all undergraduate physiotherapy students perceived their educational environment positively. However, some areas require remedial measures in order to enhance the educational experience. Advocating problem-based learning, student mentorship, counseling and workshops on teaching-learning for teachers might enable us to enrich our learning environment.
Background: Students' perceptions of their learning environments influence their approaches to learning and the learning outcomes, and reflect a programme's effectiveness. In Africa, literature on the learning environments of medical and health sciences education is scanty, and the issues impinging on effective education are not well documented. The objective of this study was to determine learners' perceptions of the issues in the learning environment of undergraduate physiotherapy education at the University of Zambia. Methods: Undergraduate physiotherapy students in years 2 to 5 were stratified according to level of study and randomly sampled. They were provided written information about the study, and consenting students were allowed to complete the DREEM questionnaire unassisted. Completed questionnaires were rated using a recommended guideline and their responses analysed quantitatively. Global, subscale, and item mean scores were calculated, and Cronbach's alpha was determined as a measure of data reliability and internal consistency. The study was approved by ethics committees of two universities. Results: Ninety-three students participated in the study. The response rate was 88.4 %. All classes rated the learning environment as 'more positive than negative,' with a mean global score of 123.2/200 (61.6 %). Scores within subscales (55.7–70.4 %) were comparable across the classes. Nine items scored below 2.0/4.0 indicating dissatisfaction. These included inadequate social support, teacher authoritarianism, and factual overload. Cronbach's alpha for global scores was 0.896, and between 0.616 and 0.820 for subscale scores. Conclusion: Though total DREEM scores showed overall positive perception of the learning environment by the students, item analysis showed students' dissatisfaction with several aspects. This analysis of undergraduate students' perceptions of the Physiotherapy learning environment provided insight into the phenomena in the programme and adds to the literature on learning environments of Physiotherapy education in Africa.
Education in Medicine Journal, 2014
Introduction: In order to produce competent physiotherapy graduates with the generic attributes much sought after by the health care providers in the country, the higher education institution needs to ensure the educational environment of the school is positive. Students' positive perception of their educational environment would facilitate their learning experience to be more meaningful and relevant. Objective: The aim of this study was to measure physiotherapy students' perception of their educational environment at the School of Physiotherapy AIMST University and Kolej Sains Kesihatan Bersekutu Sungai Buloh and to identify the areas of concern for remedial measures. Method: This research was a cross sectional study consisting of two phases using both quantitative followed by qualitative methods. The DREEM inventory consisting of 50 items under 5 domains was circulated to all the students (N=158) from both schools (AIMST and KSKB). The item mean scored below 2.00 were considered as problem areas and it was explored further through focus group discussion (N=12) as a qualitative study. Result: The overall mean score on the 50 items was 132.84 (SD 19.22) out of 200. Students' Perception of Learning (SPOL) scored the highest 32.34 (SD 4.17) followed by students' perception of Atmosphere (SPOA) 30.63 (SD 4.84), Students Perception of Teachers (SPOT) scored 30.52 (SD 3.98),Students Academic Self Perception (SASP) scored 22.03 (SD 3.20) and the last domain Students' Social Self Perception (SSSP) scored the least 17.32 (SD 19.22).All the domains scored toward more positive side of the educational environment. Four items scored less than 2.00 and these items were explored further with focus group discussion. Students from both schools had similarities as well as differences in their views over the concerned areas. Conclusion: This study revealed important information regarding the low scored items. Overall the students from both schools perceived their schools positively. Implementing the remedial measures for the problem areas would further enhance the respective educational environment and thus provide a conducive place for physiotherapy students to excel in their academic endeavour.
2016
The objective of this study was to know the perception of students about overall educational environment in a Physiotherapy College using Dundee Ready education environmental measure questionnaire so that a corrective action can be taken if needed. A Cross sectional study was undertaken wherein 79 students of all professional years participated voluntarily. DREEM has 50 items, each rated from 0-4 (Likert scale: 0, strongly disagree to 4, strongly agree). It measures five domains: students’ perceptions of learning; perceptions of teachers; academic self-perception; perceptions of the atmosphere; and social self-perception. Overall score of the questionnaire was 138 which is interpreted as ‘more positive than negative’. The three highest rated items were knowledgeable teachers, relevance of teaching to clinical practice, and confidence about passing; whereas the problematic areas were a poor support system for stressed students, poor feedback by the teachers. Five domains in the DREE...
Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions
Purpose: It aimed at describing the perception of the clinical educational environment by physiotherapy students based on the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measurement Questionnaire in Chile.Methods: The clinical education environment was evaluated according to the Postgraduate Hospital Educational Environment Measure (PHEEM) by 192 students originally enrolled in the fifth year of the physiotherapy career at 3 different headquarters of the academic institution: Santiago, Viña del Mar, and Concepcion Campus (Metropolitan, Valparaiso, and Bio Bio region, respectively), from March to October 2018. The Cronbach’s α was applied to measure the reliability of the instrument and the Student-t and analysis of variance tests were used to compare the differences of PHEEM scores by headquarters, environmental areas, and experience of internship.Results: A total overall average score of 125.88 was obtained, which meant an excellent educational environment. The overall score was ...