Continuous assessment in medical education: Exploring students' views on the progress test

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Assessment
• Quantitative Educational Research

Background:

• The Progress Test (PT) is a key tool for ongoing medical student learning evaluation.
• Understanding student perceptions is vital for optimizing assessment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess medical students' perceptions of the Progress Test's design and implementation.
• To identify factors influencing student views on PT in Brazilian medical institutions.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative, cross-sectional study involving 908 medical students from public and private institutions.
• Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• A strong positive correlation was found between academic progression and expected PT performance.
• Students generally perceived PT construction positively and received adequate information.
• Significant institutional differences emerged regarding PT question discussions and content adequacy.

Conclusions:

• Student perspectives offer valuable insights into PT's effectiveness and areas needing improvement.
• Recommendations include enhancing curriculum alignment, feedback, and student motivation strategies.
• Further research should explore diverse contexts and longitudinal impacts of PT.