Physiology general concepts course for first year undergraduate medical students using team based learning: a descriptive study

Abstract

Background: Several teaching-learning methods are widely used in medical schools all over the world. Optimizing and promoting active student learning has been the fundamental goal of these strategies. Team-Based Learning (TBL) is a structured form of small-group learn­ing which is a relatively new pedagogy in medical education. We aimed to introduce TBL in place of traditional lectures to teach physiology general concepts and evaluate its perception among undergraduate medical students at Chitwan Medical College. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among all 100 (95/100 respon­dents) year I undergraduate medical students. We requested the students to complete a Team- Based Learning- Students Assessment Instrument (TBL-SAI) to study the preference towards TBL after completing 12 weeks of TBL. Results: The study included 67 males and 28 females. Students reported agreement in TBL-SAI statements complementing and enjoying this newly introduced method. The overall mean TBL-SAI score was 111.55±11.05 (Range 78-128) which was above the defined threshold of 102 indicating favor to TBL over traditional lecture system. Sex, entry-type, and, past educational institutes were not associated with a preference of TBL. TBL-SAI is a reliable tool to use among undergraduate medical students in Nepal. Conclusions: The study demonstrates TBL could be an effective way of teaching physiology general concepts to undergraduate medical students.