The Analysis and Reporting of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM): Some Informed Guidelines for Evaluators
Open Access
- 1 January 2013
- journal article
- Published by Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. in Creative Education
- Vol. 04 (05), 340-347
- https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2013.45050
Abstract
Background: There is a need to evaluate perceptions of the educational environment of training institutions for health professionals as part of any assessment of quality standards for education. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a widely used tool for evaluating the educational environment of medical and other health schools. However, methods of analysis reported in the published DREEM literature are inconsistent which could lead to misinterpretation of areas for change and, additionally, this makes comparison between institutions difficult. Those involved in course evaluation are usually not statisticians and there are no guidelines on DREEM’s reporting or statistical analysis. This paper aims to clarify the choice of methods for the analysis of the DREEM. Method: The statistical literature, typical properties of DREEM data and the results from a series of statistical simulations were used to inform our recommendations. Results: We provide a set of guidelines for the analysis and reporting of the DREEM. In particular, we provide evidence that when comparing independent samples of Likert response data similar to that generated by the DREEM, the non-parametric Wilcoxon Mann Whitney test performs well. Further, one should be wary of using non-parametric methods on matched samples of such data as they may be overly ready to reject null hypothesis. Conclusions: Our recommendations have the potential to improve the accuracy and consistency with which the inadequacies in the medical school environment can be identified and assess the success of any changes. They should also facilitate comparison between different institutions using the DREEM. </pKeywords
This publication has 16 references indexed in Scilit:
- Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statisticsAdvances in Health Sciences Education, 2010
- Resolving the 50-year debate around using and misusing Likert scalesMedical Education, 2008
- Medical students' perceptions of their educational environment: expected versus actual perceptionsMedical Education, 2007
- Use and misuse of Likert scalesMedical Education, 2005
- Climate studies: can students’ perceptions of the ideal educational environment be of use for institutional planning and resource utilization?Medical Teacher, 2005
- Identifying the perceived weaknesses of a new curriculum by means of the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) InventoryMedical Teacher, 2004
- AMEE Medical Education Guide No. 23 (Part 1): Curriculum, environment, climate, quality and change in medical education–a unifying perspectiveMedical Teacher, 2001
- A Reaction to “Consequences of Failure to Meet Assumptions Underlying the Fixed Effects Analysis of Variance and Covariance”Review of Educational Research, 1981
- Consequences of Failure to Meet Assumptions Underlying the Fixed Effects Analyses of Variance and CovarianceReview of Educational Research, 1972
- EFFECT OF NON-NORMALITY ON THE POWER OF THE ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE TESTBiometrika, 1959