Exploring medical student learning in the large group teaching environment: examining current practice to inform...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Higher Education Pedagogy

Background:

• Large group lectures are standard but often lack student engagement.
• Students prefer interactive, active learning over didactic teaching.
• Barriers to active learning engagement persist despite student preference.

Purpose of the Study:

• Explore student experiences and expectations in large group teaching.
• Understand how students utilize lectures in their learning process.
• Provide faculty recommendations to enhance student engagement and learning.

Main Methods:

• Hermeneutic phenomenological approach.
• Three focus groups with 19 second-year medical students.
• Generic thematic data analysis of student accounts.

Main Results:

• Students possess a strong learning culture with set expectations for teaching formats.
• Perceptions of the student role influence reception of innovative teaching methods.
• Learning is often perceived to occur outside the lecture, emphasizing take-away resources.

Conclusions:

• Student engagement in large group sessions is influenced by established learning cultures and expectations.
• Short-term strategies can leverage existing culture to boost active learning.
• Long-term goals should involve shifting the learning culture to embrace active learning principles.