evolving educational environment in a medical school undergoing curricular change in the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT

College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University, United Arab Emirates, underwent a curricular change from a discipline-based to an organ system-based integrated curriculum. The long term effect of this change on the educational environment was unknown. Hence we aimed to compare perceptions of three consecutive batches of second year students about their educational environment [EE] in the new curriculum. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure [DREEM] questionnaire was distributed to a total of 140 second year students of Batches 2008, 2009 and 2010 at the beginning of their academic year. Collected data was transferred to SPSS 21 version and the total, domain and individual statement scores were assessed with Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon rank sum tests. The mean DREEM score for all the three batches was 123/200 with significantly higher scores [p < 0.001] for Batch 2008 [135/200] than for Batch 2009[116/200] or Batch 2010 [120/200]. Significantly higher scores in all domains [excepting the domain Students' academic self-perceptions] and certain individual statement scores were also observed for Batch 2008 compared to the other two batches. There was hardly any difference in all the scores between the genders. The curricular overload, the authoritarian leaning of the teachers, a lack of a support system for students who experienced stress, and diminishing interest levels of the students, which had been rated low by Batches 2009 and 2010, emerged as areas that warranted remedial development. Some improvements detected in 2010 were the assessment strategies, the student-centered teaching and the students' social interactions. The mean DREEM score for all the three batches [123/200] signified a positive EE over the previous three years. There was no difference between the genders in their perceptions of the EE over the three years. Individual item analyses identified the areas of strengths and remedial interventions for the institution