Knowledge attainment, learning approaches, and self-perceived study burnout among European veterinary students

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Veterinary programs require continuous improvement through student feedback.
• Understanding factors influencing student knowledge and coping mechanisms is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between learning approaches, self-perceived study burnout, and knowledge levels in veterinary students.
• To analyze how deep and unreflective learning styles, along with burnout indicators (exhaustion, cynicism), correlate with academic performance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the VetRepos test, a comprehensive knowledge assessment across the veterinary curriculum.
• Administered questionnaires on learning approaches and self-perceived study burnout to 248 veterinary students from seven European institutions.
• Employed structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships between learning approaches, burnout, and knowledge scores.

Main Results:

• Learning approach was the primary determinant of VetRepos test scores, independent of study year.
• A negative regression was observed for unreflective learning approaches, while deep approaches showed a positive regression on test scores.
• No direct link between perceived burnout and knowledge was found; however, an indirect association existed via the unreflective learning approach.

Conclusions:

• Learning strategies are more influential on veterinary student knowledge than study year.
• The impact of study burnout on knowledge is indirect, mediated by unreflective learning behaviors.
• Future research should explore longitudinal and person-oriented studies to further elucidate the interplay between burnout and learning strategies.