Perception of students on the learning environment during early stages of curriculum reform at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan

Abstract

Background: Nigeria has been at the forefront of

efforts to establish a competency-based curriculum,

beginning at its oldest medical school, the College

of Medicine, University of Ibadan (COMUI). This

study obtained baseline information from students

at all training levels on perceptions of the curriculum

and the educational environment, in the early stages

of implementation of a new medical school

curriculum.

Methods: A cohort of 268 preclinical and clinical

students undergoing the traditional curriculum filled

out the Dundee Ready Educational Environment

Survey (DREEM), an instrument that measures the

quality of the educational environment. At the end

of the survey, an open-ended question helped elicit

commentary to provide COMUI specific information

to those in charge of planning and implementing the

new curriculum.

Results: Areas of concern focused on students’

perception of teachers and the learning atmosphere.

Comments from pre-clinical students centered on the

mode and content of teaching, a need for improved

practical and tutorial sessions, the timing of the

curriculum and methods of assessment. For clinical

students, areas of concern included a need for

increased hands-on clinical experiences,

improvement in clinical teaching, a more

constructive clinician/student relationship, increased

opportunities for research and professional

development and greater consistency in assessment.

Conclusion: The DREEM-focused component of the

study aids understanding of its feasibility and use in

different cultural settings and in guiding curriculum

reform. This evaluation points to teaching skills and

the teacher-student relationship as two key areas of

improvement that need to be addressed in future

efforts at curriculum reform.