Evaluation of student engagement among Nigerian medical students using the AMEE ASPIRE criteria

Student engagement plays a pivotal role in medical education, influencing learning outcomes, institutional development, and professional growth. While the AMEE ASPIRE-to-Excellence framework offers internationally recognised criteria for evaluating student engagement, its application has been minimal in Nigerian medical schools. This study explores student engagement in two prominent Nigerian medical schools using the ASPIRE framework, identifying key strengths and areas for improvement in the context of Nigerian higher education.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 555 medical students from two medical schools in Nigeria - University of Ibadan (n = 268) and University of Ilorin (n = 287) - regarding student engagement according to the AMEE ASPIRE criteria. Associations between sociodemographic variables (such as institution and academic level) and student engagement items were tested using the Chi-square test.

Student engagement in school governance and structures such as policy development, accreditation processes, leadership roles in curriculum, faculty promotion, and development was notably low, with significant "not at all" responses ranging from 39 to 59.3%. Also, engagement in terms of evaluating the curriculum/teaching/learning processes and feedback on curriculum development was low, with "not at all" responses of 52.4% and 38.2%, respectively. However, other engagements in the provision of school's education programme were relatively higher. Engagement within the academic community, local community, and service delivery was also relatively higher. University of Ibadan students demonstrated significantly more engagement in involvement in accreditation processes, while University of Ilorin students demonstrated more engagement in the provision of mentorship roles for other students and in the provision of health delivery, both local and during electives.

This study identifies critical gaps in student engagement in Nigerian medical schools, emphasising the need for institutional commitment to strengthening student participation. Addressing these gaps is essential to ensuring that students become active contributors rather than passive participants in their overall education experience. These findings contribute to the global discourse on inclusive medical education in low-resource settings, offering insights to inform policy decisions and institutional reforms in Nigeria.