Perceptions and Preferences of Medical Students Regarding Contemporary Pedagogical Tools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53685/jshmdc.v7i1.428Keywords:
Clinical rotations, Education, Medical, Teaching Material, Problem-based learning, LearningAbstract
Background: Contemporary pedagogical tools in medical education encompass modern, student-centered teaching strategies that move beyond traditional lectures.
Objective: To explore perceptions and preferences regarding the use of contemporary pedagogical tools among medical students.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Liaquat National Medical College, Karachi, from 1st July to 30th September 2024. Using a census approach, 500 MBBS students from all five academic years completed a validated online questionnaire assessing their preferences for five active learning strategies (Clinical Rotations, Problem-Based Learning, Practical Sessions, Team-Based Learning, Flipped Classroom) and three didactic learning strategies (PowerPoint Presentations, Lectures, and Videos). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 with descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Clinical rotations were the most preferred teaching method, showing the highest levels of engagement (83.8%), comprehension (74.2%), critical thinking (70.6%), conceptual clarity (61.4%), and individual learning fit (67.45%). Problem-based learning also performed strongly, particularly for critical thinking (71.0%), while videos ranked similarly for conceptual clarity and learning fit (~60%). The flipped classroom was the least preferred across all domains, with engagement as low as 23.1%. Clinical rotations significantly outperformed the flipped classroom in all domains (p < 0.001; rank-biserial r = 0.58–0.63), while problem-based learning and videos also showed significant advantages (p = 0.002–0.004; r = 0.30–0.35).
Conclusion: Medical students demonstrated a clear preference for Clinical rotations, problem-based learning, and videos over passive lectures or flipped classrooms. To prepare competent, practice-ready physicians, programs should blend structured teaching with these highly engaging, real-world instructional methods.
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