An insight of medical students on the use of lectures in the curriculum: A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction:

Many hours of a student’s life are spent in a lecture hall, “the supposed place of education, growth, and understanding.” Likewise, countless hours are spent by faculty and staff in preparation for these lectures. The objective of the study was to discover the perceptions of medical students on current trends in lecture delivery. The study also arises from the fact that there is a dearth of data in Mauritius.

Methods:

A cross-sectional observational analytic pilot study was conducted via the method of a semi-structured closed-ended questionnaire. A 5-point Likert scale (Strongly disagree, disagree, neither agree nor disagree, agree, strongly agree) was used to record the responses. Two male and two female students were chosen via a convenience sampling technique from all the semesters viz. Semester one to semester ten. 

Results:

Lectures reduced anxiety with regards to study material was "strongly agreed" by 46.4% Indians, whereas 62.5% of South Africans and 50% Mauritians opted the "agree" option. As far as faculty as role models were concerned, 15 (37.5%) of students  [males 7 (35%); females 8 (40%)] strongly agreed with the option. Preference of structural approach and the correlation with gender was found to be statistically significant P <0.05.

Conclusion:

The data both suggest and prove that students are ultimately still in favor of lectures; however, duration, content, and lecture formats were critically appraised. Although the study is a pilot study, which was conducted on a small sample size, the findings can be utilized as baseline data for further investigations.