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An Exploratory Study of the Effects of a High School-University Collaborative Program on Learning Motivation and
Objective:
University-high school collaborative programmes for students aspiring to enter medical school may contribute to enhancing learning motivation and career understanding; however, their educational significance has not been sufficiently verified in Japan. This study aimed to clarify the educational significance of a high school-university collaborative programme implemented at Juntendo University.
Methods:
A questionnaire survey was conducted among 252 participants in the programme held at Juntendo University's Hongo Campus between March 2023 and December 2024. The questionnaire assessed enjoyment of the event, understanding of the university, interest in medicine, usefulness for career development, participation in the MEdit class, and satisfaction with the class. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all items, and exploratory inferential analyses using chi-square tests were conducted to examine differences between grade groups and between participants who attended the MEdit class and those who did not. Free-response comments were analysed using qualitative content analysis by two independent researchers.
Results:
Positive responses were reported for understanding of the university (99.6%), interest in medicine (100%), and perceived usefulness for career development (99.6%). Analysis of free-response comments identified four main categories: the significance of practical experience, deepening professional understanding, emergence of inquiry-based thinking, and suggestions for improvement. Exploratory inferential analyses did not identify statistically significant differences in the primary outcome measures between grade groups or between participants who attended the MEdit class and those who did not.
Conclusions:
The high school-university collaborative programme implemented by Juntendo University may contribute to enhancing learning motivation and professional understanding among students aspiring to enter medical school. Experiential learning activities and inquiry-based educational approaches may support early career awareness and reflective thinking about the medical profession.
