Tackling student neurophobia in neurosciences block with team-based learning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Neuroscience Education
• Instructional Strategies

Background:

• Neuroscience is often perceived as a challenging undergraduate medical course, leading to
• Neurophobia
• among students.
• Traditional teaching methods include lectures, practicals, and problem-based learning.
• Team-based learning (TBL) is an emerging student-centered strategy gaining traction in medical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of Team-based Learning (TBL) on student learning in a third-year neuroscience block.
• To assess the correlation between TBL participation and performance in summative assessments.
• To gauge students' perceptions of the TBL process in neuroscience education.

Main Methods:

• 156 third-year medical students were divided into male and female groups for an 8-session TBL intervention over a 6-week neuroscience block.
• Student learning was evaluated by comparing performance in summative assessments between students who participated in TBL and those who did not.
• Student perceptions of TBL were collected via an online survey.

Main Results:

• Students attending TBL sessions demonstrated improved performance in summative examinations compared to non-attendees.
• Higher grades (B and above) increased significantly (51.7% vs. 25%), while lower grades (B- and below) decreased (30.6% vs. 55%) after TBL implementation.
• Students reported favorable perceptions of TBL, noting satisfaction with content and improvements in communication and interpersonal skills.

Conclusions:

• Implementing Team-based Learning (TBL) in neuroscience education enhances student responsibility and cognitive knowledge acquisition.
• TBL effectively addresses
• neurophobia
• by improving students' ability to handle challenging neuroscience material.
• The study provides evidence for TBL's positive impact on academic performance and student engagement in medical neuroscience.