An analysis on the study habits among undergraduate medical students

Introduction: Study habits is one important factor which influences the academic performance of students. The learning strategies of high achievers are likely to be more effective. The study was aimed to analyse the study habits among undergraduate medical students and compare the study habits of high, average and low achieving undergraduate medical students. Application of effective learning strategies may be helpful in achieving better academic outcomes. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a cross sectional, observational study with 118 Final year MBBS students as study participants using Dennis Congos Study Skills Inventory Questionnaire consisting of 51 study habits questions classified according to domains of Text Book reading, Notes taking, Memory, Test Preparation, Concentration, Time management. Results: The percentage of students scoring above the cut off levels in each domain were: Memory: 61/118 (51.69%), Concentration: 67/118 (56.77%), Notes taking: 7/118 (5.93%), Time management: 17/118 (14.40%), Test preparation: 31/118 (26.27%), Text book reading: 35/118 (29.66%). The only Study habit that showed significant difference across the high, medium and low achievers was: Ability to pay attention in the class (p: 0.006). Conclusion: Though the students are talented and fare better in Memory and Concentration skills, there is glaring lack of attitudinal skills like Notes taking, Time management, Test preparation and Textbook reading skills. Paying attention in the class seems to be one most important distinguishing learning strategy determining the academic performance. Teaching– Learning methodologies need to be made more interesting so as to actively engage the attention of low achievers also.

What and How to Learn in Medical Schools:A Case Study of First-year Experience in Class / 医学教育

A first-year experience class for medical students was conducted to show a whole curriculum structure and to introduce some study skills through a few group work activities. Although the class was originally lecture-based, it was redesigned with active learning methods like group discussion, peer-review experience and peer-to-peer presentation using short articles. Students were asked to submit a learning record note and received feedback via Moodle. First-year students are expected to identify milestones toward the achievement of core competencies during the 6-year undergraduate curriculum and acquire basic skills leading to the development of various learning strategies. Learning outcomes of this attempt should be investigated for years and the class needs to be improved based on the evaluation.

Compreensão leitora e estratégias de estudo: estudo correlacional com universitários / Reader understand and study skills: correlational study with university’s students

A compreensão leitora e as estratégias de estudo constituem competências fundamentais para o processo de aprendizagem, visto que contribuem para o desenvolvimento de uma aprendizagem significativa. Nesse sentido, o presente estudo buscou investigar a relação entre compreensão leitora e estratégias de estudo de universitários. Para obter os dados necessários a investigação, foram aplicadas a Técnica de Cloze e a Escala de Identificação de Estratégias de Estudo (Study Skills Checklists-SSC) em 300 estudantes ingressantes e concluintes das universidades públicas e privadas de Campina Grande-PB e João Pessoa-PB. Os resultados demonstraram uma baixa proficiência em leitura e pouco uso de estratégias de estudo. Não foi constatada relação significativa entre compreensão em leitura e estratégias de estudo e não houve diferenças no desempenho de ingressantes e concluintes nas variáveis mencionadas. Ressalta-se que a realização deste trabalho contribuiu para a ampliação do conhecimento acerca dos construtos compreensão e estratégia, acarretando em implicações educacionais e recomendações para futuras pesquisas.

Reading comprehension strategies and study skills are fundamental to the learning process, as they contribute to the development of meaningful learning. The present study aims at investigating the relationship between reading comprehension and study strategies for college. To obtain the data necessary for the research, the Cloze Technique and Scale Identification Strategies Study (Study Skills Checklists-SSC) were applied to 300 students entering and graduating from public and private universities of Cam-pina Grande-PB and João Pessoa. The results show a low reading proficiency and little use of study strategies. There is no significant relationship between reading comprehension and study strategies and there are no differences in the performance of freshmen and the variables mentioned. It needs to be emphasized that this work has contributed to the expansion of knowledge and understanding of the constructs strategy, resulting in educational implications and recommendations for future research.

Una revision general a los habitos y tecnicas de estudio en el ambito universitario / College students habits and study techniques. a general review

El presente artículo pretende desarrollar una revisión teórica a partir de la selección, organización, sistematización y análisis de un grupo de textos y documentos electrónicos referidos a los hábitos y técnicas de estudio. Todo ello con la intención de responder los siguientes interrogantes: ¿Qué son los hábitos de estudio y cómo afectan el aprendizaje de los universitarios?, ¿qué son las técnicas de estudio?, ¿cuáles son las técnicas de estudio más empleadas por los estudiantes universitarios en la actualidad? Se concluyó que el estudio de este tema tiene una importante vigencia, debido a la necesidad práctica de evaluar, comprender y mejorar estos factores en los estudiantes de todos los niveles escolares, y en especial en los que cursan estudios superiores, a fin de optimizar los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje desarrollados en los contextos escolares.

This article aims to develop a theoretical review on the theme 'Habits and Study Skills' with the purpose on showing the selection, organization, systematization and analysis of a group of texts and electronic documents related to the subject. The results seek to answer questions such as: Which are the study habits and how do they affect learning for university students? What are study skills? And which are some of the study techniques employed by most college students today? Concluding that the study is very relevant because of the practical need to assess, understand and improve these factors in students of all school levels and especially in higher education, with the purpose of optimizing the teaching and learning processes developed in school contexts.

Assessing study skills among a sample of university students: an Iranian survey / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: Numerous studies have revealed that study skills have a constructive role on the academic performance of students, in addition to educational quality, students' intelligence, and their affective characteristics. This study aims to examine study skills and the factors influencing them among the health sciences students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences in Iran. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out from May to November 2013. A total of 340 Urmia health sciences students were selected using a simple sampling method. Data were collected using the Study Skills Assessment Questionnaire of Counseling Center of Houston University and analyzed with descriptive and analytical statistics. RESULTS: The mean and standard deviation of the students' study skills were 172.5+/-23.2, out of a total score of 240. Around 1.2% of the study skills were weak; 86.8%, moderate; and 12%, good. Among the study skills, the scores of time management, and memory and concentration were better than the others. Also, there was a significant positive correlation between study skills scores and the students' family housing status and academic level (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Although the majority of the participants had moderate study skills, these were not sufficient and far from good. Improving and promoting the study skills of university students require the designing and implementing of education programs for study strategies. Therefore, decision makers and planners in the educational areas of universities should consider the topic described above.

El conocimiento estratégico durante el estudio de textos en la enseñanza secundaria / Strategic knowledge while studying texts in secondary education

Una de las actividades habituales de los alumnos de educación secundaria obligatoria es la que genéricamente denominamos "estudio" que, casi siempre, es un requisito indispensable para superar la evaluación de una materia o un curso. La investigación ha puesto de manifiesto que el estudio estratégico y eficaz se caracteriza por un uso flexible de los procedimientos de aprendizaje en función de los conocimientos previos pero también en función de las demandas y los objetivos que guían la actuación en situaciones específicas. Para conocer si los estudiantes de secundaria abordan el estudio de forma estratégica y eficaz, diseñamos una investigación en la que se analizó la interpretación y la actuación de una muestra de 149 estudiantes de secundaria obligatoria (muestra final) enfrentados a dos tareas de estudio diferentes. Los resultados muestran que, aunque los alumnos declaran conocer procedimientos variados, los que usan más frecuentemente ante cualquier tarea de estudio son los de adquisición de la información. Además, un porcentaje elevado de estudiantes, en las dos tareas, abordaron el estudio e interpretaron las tareas sin tener en cuenta la demanda con que fueron formuladas. Por otro lado, la utilización de procedimientos más complejos (como los de elaboración y análisis de la información) y su uso estratégico en la actividad de estudio, fueron variables que influyeron positivamente en la resolución de tareas que implican la organización de la información a partir del texto estudiado.

Studying is one of the most usual tasks in Secondary Education and almost always it is a requirement for students to be assessed. Research has shown that the strategic and efficient ways to study are characterised by a flexible use of the students' learning procedures, not only on the basis on previous knowledge, but also on the basis of the activities demands and learning objectives in situated contexts. In order to know how secondary students face up to study strategically, the interpretation and activity of 149 students (final sample) when studying two texts with different task demands and aims were analysed. The results showed that acquisition procedures were the most frequently used in both tasks, despite students' declarative knowledge about alternative procedures. Moreover, a high percentage of students interpreted both tasks without taking into account its specific demand. On the other hand, the use of more complex procedures and a high level of awareness about procedural knowledge were variables positively related with solving comprehension tasks which involve the students' personal elaboration and organization of the information.