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An inquiry into the factors - teaching techniques, motivation, learning style and strategy - that may affect the performance of the students in a course on systemic pharmacology
Author
Tan, Kwong Huat
Supervisor
Chen, Ai Yen
Abstract
It is known that student learning is affected by teacher- and student-related factors. This project inquires into how the following factors: students' learning styles and strategies, motivation to learn and teaching techniques, may have influenced the learning of a six-lecture course in systemic pharmacology by medical and pharmacy students. The pharmacy students had lower grades in their A-level Science subjects than the medical students and had also performed less well than the latter in the mid-year examination and first term test in pharmacology. This situation thus provided an opportunity for the author to inquire into the use of two enhancing elements in the teaching of the course to the pharmacy students. The research question is whether the two enhancing elements: planned class revision and a computer assisted learning programme can raise the performance of the pharmacy students in a test that is based on the six lectures in systemic pharmacology.
The author delivered two of the lectures in the early part of the course, and the remaining four towards the end of the academic year. Surveys were done to determine the students' learning styles and strategies as well as the factors motivating their learning. The teaching techniques used for the two groups of students were deliberately different in that more review and rehearsal of the six lectures was provided for the pharmacy students. In addition, these students also had a one and a half hour computer-based revision session. The medical and pharmacy students were assessed by R common multiple choice objective test with true-false items at the end of the course.
The surveys showed that nearly half of the medical students and slightly more than two thirds of the pharmacy students were assimilators in their learning style. Both groups of students participated equally in activities related to deep learning. The majority of the medical students were motivated by the utility value of the course while the majority of the pharmacy students were motivated by a personal interest in the subject. Studying to pass examinations was another motivating factor among a higher percentage of medical than pharmacy students.
The results of the test showed that the percentage of passes was similar between the medical and pharmacy students. The mean class score and pass score of the pharmacy students were however higher than the scores obtained by the medical students. The pass students in both groups were mainly assimilators in their learning style. Including the additional time spent in computer-based revision sessions, the pharmacy students spent more time in preparing for the test than the medical students and found these sessions helpful. Planned class revision, in the form of lecture review, and self-study were learning activities that a great majority of both groups of students also found to be helpful in their preparation for the test. All the pharmacy students who had discussions with their classmates found these helpful, compared to the medical students, half of whom found that these discussions were not helpful. While a large majority of the medical students were in the course of their choice, less than half of the pharmacy students were in their course by choice. Both medical and pharmacy students were mainly motivated to study for the test by the long-term goal of wanting to rehearse for the final examination in pharmacology.
The results gathered from this preliminary inquiry into the effects of teacher- and student-related factors on students' learning in a course of lectures on systemic pharmacology suggest that lecture review and computer-based revision sessions have a part to play in enhancing the learning of the course by pharmacy students. While the students' learning style also seems to have contributed to their improved performance, other learning activities that were investigated in this inquiry, namely self-study and discussions with classmates, as well as the desire to pass examinations may also have contributed to the students' enhanced performance.
The author delivered two of the lectures in the early part of the course, and the remaining four towards the end of the academic year. Surveys were done to determine the students' learning styles and strategies as well as the factors motivating their learning. The teaching techniques used for the two groups of students were deliberately different in that more review and rehearsal of the six lectures was provided for the pharmacy students. In addition, these students also had a one and a half hour computer-based revision session. The medical and pharmacy students were assessed by R common multiple choice objective test with true-false items at the end of the course.
The surveys showed that nearly half of the medical students and slightly more than two thirds of the pharmacy students were assimilators in their learning style. Both groups of students participated equally in activities related to deep learning. The majority of the medical students were motivated by the utility value of the course while the majority of the pharmacy students were motivated by a personal interest in the subject. Studying to pass examinations was another motivating factor among a higher percentage of medical than pharmacy students.
The results of the test showed that the percentage of passes was similar between the medical and pharmacy students. The mean class score and pass score of the pharmacy students were however higher than the scores obtained by the medical students. The pass students in both groups were mainly assimilators in their learning style. Including the additional time spent in computer-based revision sessions, the pharmacy students spent more time in preparing for the test than the medical students and found these sessions helpful. Planned class revision, in the form of lecture review, and self-study were learning activities that a great majority of both groups of students also found to be helpful in their preparation for the test. All the pharmacy students who had discussions with their classmates found these helpful, compared to the medical students, half of whom found that these discussions were not helpful. While a large majority of the medical students were in the course of their choice, less than half of the pharmacy students were in their course by choice. Both medical and pharmacy students were mainly motivated to study for the test by the long-term goal of wanting to rehearse for the final examination in pharmacology.
The results gathered from this preliminary inquiry into the effects of teacher- and student-related factors on students' learning in a course of lectures on systemic pharmacology suggest that lecture review and computer-based revision sessions have a part to play in enhancing the learning of the course by pharmacy students. While the students' learning style also seems to have contributed to their improved performance, other learning activities that were investigated in this inquiry, namely self-study and discussions with classmates, as well as the desire to pass examinations may also have contributed to the students' enhanced performance.
Date Issued
1994
Call Number
LB1060 Tan
Date Submitted
1994