Students' perceptions of educational environment of a private medical school in Pakistan

To measure the students' perceptions of educational environment of a medical school, to compare the perceptions of high, average and low academic achievers, and to explore the relation between these perceptions and their academic achievements in order to identify specific problem areas.

The cross-sectional study was conducted at Ziauddin University, Karachi, during the mid of the 2010-11 academic year using Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure inventory. Data was collected from 200 undergraduate medical students of all five years. Analysis was performed using both Inventory guidelines on SPSS19.0.

Of the 200 students initially enrolled, completed forms were received from 168 (84%). The overall mean score was 117+/-8.3. Mean comparison of their perceptions on the overall score was significantly less (p<0.001) for the low achievers across all 5 years. Moderate positive correlation (r= 0.417) was found between perceptions and academic achievements.

Students' perceptions of their educational environment were reasonably positive, indicating adequate satisfaction in most areas. Emphasis needs to be paid on the implementation of strong student support system across all medical schools to initiate timely remedial measures where needed. The learning environment should be evaluated regularly for quality improvement purposes.