Correlation between the learning approaches of first year medical students and their performance in multiple choice questions in physiology.

ABSTRACT

Background: Students generally choose either a surface learning approach that focuses on rote learning or a deep approach that focuses on understanding. While selection for postgraduate medical courses is based on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), only some medical colleges in Tamil Nadu, India, use MCQs for assessing undergraduate students. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the learning approaches of first year medical students using the Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) and their performance in Multiple Choice Questions in Physiology. Materials and Methods: The Revised Two Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) was administered to 142 first year medical students of a private medical college in Tamil Nadu after the internal assessment examination in Physiology that included 20 MCQs. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was determined using SPSS 17 software, to find the relationship between the deep and surface learning approach scores with the performance in the MCQ examination. Results: The majority of our students (73%) preferred a deep approach while learning Physiology. There was a positive correlation between deep approach scores and MCQ marks (r=0.226, p=0.007, n=142) and a negative correlation between surface approach scores and MCQ marks (r=-0.258, p=0.002, n=142). Conclusion: The majority of our first year medical students exposed to a didactic-non Problem Based Learning curriculum in which assessment included MCQs in Physiology preferred a deep learning approach which was positively correlated with MCQ marks.