Cultural Appropriation for Improved Knowledge Acquisition in Medical Education

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Science
• Forensic Medicine

Background:

• Culture significantly influences human behavior and beliefs.
• Superstition, an irrational belief, is prevalent across cultures and often lacks a rational basis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate cultural appropriation as a method for enhancing medical knowledge and attitudes.
• To assess the impact of superstition-oriented videos on a non-medical population's understanding of forensic medicine.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional social experiment involved 986 participants.
• Four videos, integrating 20 forensic medicine facts with superstition themes, were presented.
• Data was collected via a 16-question Microsoft Form survey.

Main Results:

• 77.5% of participants watched all videos, with 55-95% demonstrating knowledge acquisition.
• A significant difference in knowledge was observed between viewers and non-viewers.
• Participants reported increased curiosity, respect for forensic physicians, and awareness of their own ignorance.

Conclusions:

• Cultural appropriation can be an effective strategy to improve educational engagement and knowledge retention.
• Integrating cultural elements, like superstition, into educational content can honor learners' backgrounds and enhance learning outcomes.