Approach to learning and the academic performance of a group of medical students – any correlation ?

Objectives: The study was conducted to determine the correlation if any, between the approach to learning and the academic performance of a group of medical students. Methodology: The study was designed as an observational descriptive cross sectional study involving A/L 2007 batch of students of the Faculty of Medicine, Colombo. The approach to learning was assessed using Biggs’s Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (13) and academic performance was determined by results of the Introductory Basic Sciences examination. Results: Results showed both the predominant motive and strategy of learning belong to the deep category with mean scores for both being 14.6 out of 25. The mean scores for deep and surface approaches were 29.2 and 24.9 out of 50 respectively. Out of the study group 65.5% (n=109) were deep learners and 32.7% (n=54) were surface learners. Seventy three percent (n=76) of deep learners and sixty percent (n=32) of surface learners had achieved a high academic performance, and learning approach and academic performance correlated significantly. (Pearson’s r = 0.119) Gender did not have a significant effect on the approach to learning. Conclusion: The most frequent approach adopted by students being a deep approach is favourable in terms of medical education. Our findings suggest a small positive correlation between learning approach and academic performance where students with a deep approach achieve a higher performance and vice versa. Therefore we suggest that motivating medical undergraduates towards a deeper approach to studying would be beneficial to them in achieving the expected long term goals. Introduction This study was designed to determine the correlation between the approach to learning and the academic performance of medical students. In psychological terms learning is defined as a relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs through experience. There are different approaches that people adopt when learning. The quantity and quality of learning is determined by the approach to learning students adopt. The way that students approach learning plays an important role in determining the outcome of any educational endeavour. Surface/ superficial, deep, and strategic are the three basic learning approaches adopted by students, as identified by researchers in medical education (1). Amongst them, deep and surface are the two main qualitatively different approaches, derived from original empirical research by Marton and Säljö (2) and since elaborated by Entwistle (3), Ramsden (4) and Biggs (5). Students adopting a deep approach are motivated by an interest in the subject material and/or recognition of its vocational relevance. There is an intention to understand; to focus on the concepts applicable to problem solving. Students relate previous knowledge to new knowledge, theoretical ideas to everyday experience and the task is interpreted as an opportunity to gain new insight (6). In addition, the deep approach is found to facilitate the retention of factual details more effectively (1). Students adopting a surface approach are predominantly motivated either by a desire to complete the course or a fear of failure, thus fulfilling the requirements by memorizing and reproducing the material they believe is likely to come up in assessments, resulting in a superficial level of understanding (6). With regards to students adopting a strategic approach, the predominant motive is the achievement of *Corresponding author: S D L P Subasinghe, MBBS (Colombo), Relief House Officer, Neurosurgical unit I, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo (E-mail: lilanthisubasinghe@yahoo.com)