Medical Students' Perceptions of Physiology Practical Animal‐Handling and Virtual Classes in Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) Method
Authors: de Toledo Durand Marina , Restini Carolina Baraldi Araujo , Bestetti Reinaldo Bulgarelli , Couto Lucélio Bernardes 
Published: November 2023

The use of animals is a common practice to illustrate concepts in physiology teaching and to complement active learning approaches in medical education, e.g. Problem‐Based Learning (PBL). Nevertheless, criticisms have been made since living preparations can be replaced by suitable alternatives. One aspect that should be considered about this issue is the perception of students. The aim of this study was to find out the students' perceptions of animal‐handling or virtual‐based learning in physiology practical classes and their relevance in PBL method. This study was conducted in the Medical School of University of Ribeirão Preto, where the structural learning method is PBL. In 2015, all physiology practical animal‐handling classes were replaced by video/computer activities with the same purpose. After that, second to fourth year students, who participated only in virtual classes, only in practical animal‐handling classes, or in both approaches during this transition, were asked to fill out a 5‐point Likert scale questionnaire about the following topics: 1) learning acquisition; 2) learning towards PBL method; 3) skills acquired; 4) academic formation without animals use. Data was analyzed by Chi‐square value. A total of 350 medical students, in which 108 participated in only in virtual classes (2nd‐year), 120 only in practical animal‐handling classes (4th‐year) and 122 in both approaches (3rd‐year), were included in the study. The age average was 23±3 years. Less than 5% of students refused to participate in some of these classes and most of them (4%) were women. A large majority of students (70%) agree or strongly agree that practical classes improved learning acquisition regardless if it was with animal‐handling or virtual. However, the group which experienced both approaches favored animal‐handling classes (88%) instead of virtual classes (59%) (p<0.05). More than 60% in all groups agree or strongly agree that both methods were useful in learning towards PBL method. Barely 58% of the students reported that both methodologies enabled them to acquire important skills for their academic development, while 42% disagree or did not have an opinion. Nevertheless, students who participated in both classes felt that practical animal‐handling classes were better to acquire academic skills (85%) compared to virtual classes (29%). Students' opinions about academic formation without animals use were divided. Thirty seven percent agree with this topic, while 37% disagree and 26% did not have an opinion. In spite of this result, 63% agree that animal‐handling practicing is needed in physiology‐applied classes. In conclusion, our data showed that although there is evidence that practical animal‐handling classes are more challenging and motivating, students considered both methodologies effective in acquiring basic physiology concepts in a medical school whose learning method is PBL. In addition, even though the students from basic stage of medical school believe that animal‐handling is important in physiology practical classes, they do not have a clear perception whether a medical student can be really better prepared, as a professional, without animal‐handling.

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