UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL STUDENTS’ APPROACHES TO LEARNING ANATOMY: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Approaches to learning are the thinking process used for getting, arranging, and recalling the information more effectively. Sound knowledge of Anatomy is mandatory for practicing safely and efficiently in almost all clinical specialties. Aim of this study was to explore the learning approaches proved to be most popular among the undergraduate medical students for the subject of Anatomy in our institution.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Anatomy Department, Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical College, Lahore. 100 students from first year & 98 students from second year MBBS were included. Participation was purely on voluntary basis. Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) was used to categorize students’ learning approaches towards anatomy as surface, deep or strategic. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Shapiro Wilk test was used to check the normality of the data. Data was normally distributed. Scoring for three learning approaches was described by using mean ± SD. P- Value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

RESULTS: Overall, 116 (58.9%) students practiced deep approach, 53 (26.9%) students practiced strategic approach and only 28 (14.2%) showed surface approach. No significant difference was found in practicing different learning approaches between first-year and second-year students.Deep learning approach towards anatomy was the most frequently adopted approach by both male as well as female students.

Conclusion:

Majority of the students showed predominant deep approach towards learning Anatomy, followed by the students having predominant strategic learning approach. There is still room for improvement in the quest to foster deep learning among students by the development of competent & skillful faculty and improving our assessment tools aligned with the learning outcomes.