An investigation into the characteristics of the anatomy and embryology module (MEF 153) that affect first-year medical students' academic performance at the University of the Free State: a students' perspective
Van Zyl, Gerhard Johannes
English: The first two years of higher education is critical in creating a foundation for future academic success as this is the time with the highest gain in knowledge, namely the development of critical thinking and cognitive development (Reason, Terenzini & Domingo 2006:150). Experiences during this stage will influence future academic performance. In South Africa, as many as 33% of enrolled students do not proceed beyond the first year of study (CHE 2013:44). Factors that influence academic performance of first-year students include individual, organisational, environmental and academic programme factors. These factors are often interconnected (James 2007:2; Krumrei-Mancuso, Newton, Kim & Wilcocs 2013:248-253; Reason et al. 2006:149,167; Yates 2012:46-49). The extent to which a specific factor will influence an individual student is affected by the individual’s perspective and experience of such a factor. The strengths and weaknesses of a curriculum - as perceived by students - will affect academic performance, among other factors (Henzi, Davis, Jasinevicius & Hendricson 2007:642-645). Against this background, the problem that was addressed was the poor academic performance of students in module MEF153 (Structure and development of the body) in the first year of the Programme for Professional Medicine (MBChB), in the School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State. The question that had arisen was: “Which factors, within the curriculum of the first-year undergraduate medical programme module MEF153, influence the academic performance of students in this module?” An investigation was done by the researcher to identify factors contributing to the poor academic performance of students in the module MEF153. Therefore the aim of the study that was pursued was to investigate students’ perspectives regarding the importance of the various factors affecting their academic performance in their first year of study in the module MEF153. Research was conducted with the goal of making recommendations for changes to the curriculum of module MEF153. This was deemed necessary to improve the academic performance of first-year medical students in the module, without the lowering of academic standards. To answer the research question and in order to achieve the aim, the objectives pursued included conceptualising and contextualizing factors affecting students’ academic performance through conducting a literature survey. The presence and relevance of these factors within module MEF153 were determined through the analysis of module MEF153. Emphasis was placed on the curriculum, module structure and layout, educational strategies and methods, study content, assessment methods and finally, the time available for this module. A questionnaire was composed from these factors. The students’ perception of the importance of factors affecting academic performance in module MEF153 was then evaluated by means of the questionnaire and statistical analysis of data. The research approach used was a descriptive survey with quantitative and qualitative methodologies. All students registered for the module MEF153, and present on the day of data collection were included. The prevalence and perceived importance of factors affecting academic performance was determined by means of voluntary participation in an anonymous and confidential self-administered questionnaire completed by numerous research participants. The questionnaire contained questions with reference to demographic- and personal information, curriculum and programme characteristics and educational information such as teaching and learning methods used in this module. Quantitative data on the perceived importance and effect of factors on academic performance were recorded with the aid of questions and a Likert scale. Qualitative data were gathered through open-ended questions in the questionnaire. The results of the quantitative data were reported as frequencies and percentages or medians for each factor evaluated and discussed. The major findings from this study were that all factors, except “personal interracial relations”, investigated for their possible effect on academic performance, are perceived to have an effect of median = 5 or more on academic performance on a scale from 0 to 10 where 10 = most important. Except for nine factors, the majority of participants reported a positive effect on academic performance for factors investigated. The factors that reported a majority negative effect on academic performance included financial cost of studies; workload of the undergraduate medical programme; workload of module MEF153; load of independent study in module MEF153; difficulty of content in module MEF153; difficulty of language in resources used in module MEF153; number of assessment opportunities in module MEF153; volume of content assessed per assessment opportunity; and stress associated with assessment in module MEF153. The qualitative data presented and discussed here were classified in themes and categories for each question. It provided further insight and understanding of the quantitative results. These results show that the undergraduate medical programme and module MEF153 manage most factors in such a way that it contributes positively to academic performance for the majority of participants in this study. It also identifies areas that negatively influence the academic performance of the majority of participants. Furthermore, it emphasises the diverse effect of each factor on academic performance among participants. This knowledge can be used to address problematic areas of the curriculum to improve academic performance. It can also be used to improve academic development and support activities to address shortcoming in skills among students.
Afrikaans: Die eerste twee jaar van hoër onderwys is van kritiese belang as fondasie vir toekomstige sukses, want dit verteenwoordig die tydperk met die grootste toename in kennis, naamlik die ontwikkeling van kritiese denke en kognitiewe vaardighede (Reason, Terenzini & Domingo 2006:150). Ervarings gedurende hierdie fase sal toekomstige akademiese prestasie beïnvloed. Drie-en-dertig persent van ingeskrewe studente in Suid-Afrika vorder nie verder as die eerste jaar van studie nie (CHE 2013:44). Faktore wat die akademiese prestasie van eerstejaar studente beïnvloed sluit individuele, instansie-, omgewings- en akademiese programfaktore in. Hierdie faktore is dikwels onderling verwant (James 2007:2; Krumrei-Mancuso, Newton, Kim & Wilcocs 2013:248-253; Reason et al. 2006:149,167; Yates 2012:46-49). Die mate waartoe ‘n spesifieke faktor ‘n individu sal beïnvloed, word deur die individu se perspektief op, en ondervinding van die faktor beïnvloed. Die sterk- en swak punte van ‘n kurrikulum – soos deur studente ervaar – sal onder andere studente se akademiese prestasie beïnvloed (Henzi, Davis, Jasinevicius & Hendricson 2007:642-645). Met hierdie agtergrond in gedagte is die probleem rakende swak akademiese prestasie onder studente in die module MEF153 (Struktuur en ontwikkeling van die liggaam) in die eerste jaar van die Program vir Professionele Geneeskunde (MBChB) in die Skool vir Geneeskunde, Fakulteit Gesonheidswetenskappe, Universiteit van die Vrystaat ondersoek. Die vraag wat na vore gekom het, was: “Watter faktore in die kurrikulum van die eerste jaar voorgraadse mediese program module MEF153 beïnvloed die akademiese prestasie van studente in hierdie module?” Die navorser het ‘n ondersoek uitgevoer om faktore wat bydra tot die swak prestasie van studente in module MEF153 te identifiseer. Vervolgens was die doel van die studie om studente se perspektief op die belang van faktore wat hul akademiese prestasie in die module MEF153 in hul eerste jaar van studies beïnvloed, te ondersoek. Navorsing is uitgevoer met die doel om aanbevelings vir wysigings aan die kurrikulum van module MEF153 te maak. Hierdie wysigings was nodig om die akademiese prestasie van eerstejaar mediese studente in die module MEF153 te verbeter, sonder verlies van akademiese standaarde. Die doelwitte wat ondersoek is met die doel om hierdie navorsingsvraag te beantwoord en die doel van die studie te bereik, het ingesluit die konseptualisering en kontekstualisering van faktore wat studente se akademiese prestasie beïnvloed d.m.v. ‘n literatuurstudie. Analise van module MEF153 is het die teenwoordigheid en relevansie van hierdie faktore in die module bepaal. Faktore wat beklemtoon was, is die kurrikulum, modulestruktuur en -uitleg, onderwysstrategieë en -metodes, vakinhoud, assesseringsmetodes en laastens beskikbare tyd vir hierdie module. Vanuit hierdie faktore is ‘n vraelys opgestel. Die studente se persepsie van die belang van faktore wat akademiese prestasie in die module MEF153 beïnvloed, is bepaal deur middel van die vraelys en statistiese ontleding van hierdie data. Die navorsingsbenadering in die studie was ‘n beskrywende opname met kwantitatiewe- en kwalitatiewe metodiek. Alle geregistreerde studente in die module MEF153 wat teenwoordig was op die dag van data insameling, is in die studie ingesluit. Die teenwoordigheid en persepsie van belangrikheid van faktore wat akademiese prestasie beïnvloed is deur die vrywillige voltooiing van ‘n anonieme, vertroulike vraelys deur studente bepaal. Die vraelys sluit demografiese- en persoonlike inligting in, asook kurrikulum en programkenmerke en onderwyskundige faktore soos onderrig- en leermetodes wat in hierdie module gebruik word. Kwantitatiewe data oor die persepsiële belang en effek van faktore op akademiese prestasie is deur middel van vrae met ‘n Likert-skaal ingesamel. Kwalitatiewe data is deur middel van oop vrae in die vraelys ingesamel. Die resultate van die kwantitatiewe data is met frekwensies en persentasies of mediane beskryf vir elke faktor wat geëvalueer en bespreek is. Die belangrikste bevindings van hierdie studie is dat alle faktore, met die uitsondering van “persoonlike interras verhoudings” wat bestudeer is vir hul moontlike effek op akademiese prestasie, ervaar word om ‘n effek met ‘n mediaan = 5 of meer op akademiese prestasie te hê op ‘n skaal van 0 tot 10, met 10 = belangrikste effek. Behalwe vir nege faktore is bevind dat die meerderheid deelnemers ‘n positiewe effek op akademiese prestasie ervaar het vir al die oorblywende faktore. Die faktore wat deur die meerderheid ervaar is om ‘n negatiewe effek op akademiese prestasie te hê, sluit in finansiele koste van studies; werkslading in die voorgraadse mediese program, werkslading in module MEF153; hoeveelheid selfstandige studie in module MEF153; moeilikheidsgraad van die vakinhoud in module MEF153; moeilik verstaanbare taal van bronne in module MEF153; aantal assesseringsgeleenthede in module MEF153; volume vakinhoud per assesseringsgeleentheid; en die stres rakende assessering in module MEF153. Kwalitatiewe data is in temas en kategorieë geklassifiseer en beskryf vir elke vraag. Die kwalitatiewe bevindings het dieper insig en begrip aan kwantitatiewe resultate verleen. Hierdie bevindings toon dat meeste van die faktore wat bestudeer is, op sodanige wyse bestuur word dat dit ‘n positiewe effek op akademiese prestasie uitoefen vir die meerderheid deelnemers aan die studie - in die voorgraadse mediese program en module MEF153. Faktore wat ‘n oorheersend negatiewe effek op akademiese prestasie uitoefen is ook geïdentifiseer. Die uiteenlopende effek van elke faktor op akademiese prestasie onder deelnemers is verder beklemtoon. Hierdie kennis kan gebruik word om tekortkominge in die kurrikulum aan te pas, met die doel om akademiese prestasie te bevorder. Dit kan ook gebruik word om aandag aan gebrekkige vaardighede van studente te verleen deur akademiese ontwikkeling- en ondersteuningsinisiatiewe te verbeter.