Effect of extensive rote learning experience on subsequent academic achievement

ABSTRACT

To determine the difference between academic achievements in terms of scores of students with prior extensive rote memorization experience with those without it. Ex-post fecto study. Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur from Dec 2013 to Mar 2014. After Quaid-e-Azam Medical College's ethical review board's approval, scores of medical students first professional examination were selected by purposive sampling technique, making a total sample size of 102 students, constituting 2 comparison groups with 51 students in each. The first group comprised all the students of 3[rd], 4[th] and 5[th] year MBBS who were Hafiz-e-Quran and the other one had non Hafiz-e-Quran students from the same year. Descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation of their scores were calculated. The overall mean score in biochemistry, physiology and anatomy was statistically different for these two groups as mean scores were 730.25 +/- 50.66 and 699.94 +/- 48.93 [p = 0.003] respectively for hafiz-e-Quran and non-hafiz-e-Quran. This was because of significant difference in achievement of score in physiology as mean score was 258.47 +/- 24.36 and 248.98 +/- 20.60 for hafiz-e-Quran and non-hafiz-e-Quran respectively [p = 0.036]. The difference in the subject of anatomy and biochemistry was not statistically significant. Prior training of rote learning may provide experience to learn and reproduce bigger chunks of knowledge more effectively