Does the curricular change at Gulf medical college, United Arab Emirates improve the faculty perceptions of student experiences with the educational environment?

ABSTRACT

Gulf Medical College, United Arab Emirates, underwent a major curriculum change from a discipline-based to an organ system-based integrated curriculum. However, it was not known how the faculty perceived the educational environment as experienced by the students in the new curriculum. In this context, the present study compared faculty perceptions of the student experiences in the discipline-based curriculum with those in the organ systems-based integrated curriculum. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [DREEM] questionnaire was modified, pilot-tested and administered to all faculty members [n=28] involved in the discipline-based curriculum [FDC]. In the subsequent year, data were collected from the same faculty involved in the integrated curriculum [FIC]. The data collected were transferred to PASW-18. Global, domain and individual item scores were assessed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Percentage agreement, disagreement and uncertainty were assessed by z test for proportion. The total DREEM score was significantly higher [p<0.001] for FIC [139/200] as compared to FDC [119/200]. FIC perceived significantly more positive student experiences with the educational environment as indicated by the domain scores and item scores. The differences in proportions of agreement between FIC and FDC also reinforced that the FIC perceived more positive student experiences with the educational environment. The study showed that the faculty perceived the organ systems-based integrated curriculum was providing a better educational environment for the students than the discipline based curriculum