Perception about Case Based Learning among Medical Students of a Public Sector Medical University in Karachi

ABSTRACT

Background:

There has been a shift in medical education from didactic teaching to small group teaching which stresses on the importance of student active participation in problem-solving and critical thinking. We aimed to evaluate perception about Case Based Learning (CBL) as a learning strategy among medical students.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 300 male and female students of 1st and 3rd semester, MBBS. Data was entered and analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The Independent Samples t-test was used and p<0.05 was considered statistical significant.

Results:

We reported an increase in the perception regarding CBL from Cambridge students and a reduced scoring of CBL in the non-Cambridge group (p>0.05). There was a significant difference in the perception score about CBL obtained from O-Level students (34.1±4.4) and Matric systems (35.8±2.9)(p=0.02) in the first semester, however, it was not significant in the 3rd semester (p>0.05). A significant difference between the A-Level (33.3±5.4) and intermediate (35.8±2.8) college systems was observed regarding the opinion about CBL (p=0.009) in the first semester as compared to third semester but statistically insignificant.

Conclusion:

Students tend to have better perception about CBL at the entry level. The educational background of students influences the perception. However, learning environment and quality of facilitation may influence their perception and opinion regarding CBL. It is therefore critical to consider the quality of facilitations and learning environment along with CBL.

Keywords: Education; Medical Students; Perception; Undergraduate.

Readmore