Su Jin Chae

The relationship among self-efficacy, perfectionism and academic burnout in medical school students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among academic self-efficacy, socially-prescribed perfectionism, and academic burnout in medical school students and to determine whether academic self-efficacy had a mediating role in the relationship between perfectionism and academic burnout. Methods: A total of 244 first-year and second-year premed medical students and first- to fourth-year medical students were enrolled in this study. As study tools, socially-prescribed perfectionism, academic self-efficacy, and academic burnout scales were utilized. For data analysis, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results: Academic burnout had correlation with socially-prescribed perfectionism. It had negative correlation with academic self-efficacy. Socially-prescribed perfectionism and academic self-efficacy had 54% explanatory power for academic burnout. When socially-prescribed perfectionism and academic self-efficacy were simultaneously used as input, academic self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between socially-prescribed perfectionism and academic burnout. Conclusion: Socially-prescribed perfectionism had a negative effect on academic self-efficacy, ultimately triggering academic burnout. This suggests that it is important to have educational and counseling interventions to improve academic self-efficacy by relieving academic burnout of medical school students.

Factors that influence student ratings of instruction

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of student ratings of instruction by analyzing their relationships with several variables, including gender, academic rank, specialty, teaching time, and teaching method, at a medical school. METHODS This study analyzed the student ratings of 297 courses at Ajou University School of Medicine in 2013. SPSS version 12.0 was used to analyze the data and statistics by t-test, analysis of variance, and Scheffe test. RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences in student ratings between gender, rank, and specialty. However, student ratings were significantly influenced by teaching times and methods (p<0.05). Student ratings were high for teaching times of 10 hours or more and small-group learning, compared with lectures. There was relatively mean differences in students ratings by teaching times, specialty and rank, although the difference in ratings was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION Student ratings can be classified by teaching time and method for summative purposes. To apply student ratings to the evaluation of the performance of faculty, further studies are needed to analyze the variables that influence student ratings.

The Importance of Nonverbal Communication Skills

아주대학교 의과대학 의학전문대학원 BK21 사업단채수진 강의 내용에 대한 해박한 지식은 좋은 강의를 위한 전제 조건이다. 그러나 그것만으로는 충분하지 않다 . 강의중 학생들을 집중시키고 학습을 자극하는 분위기를 조성하는 것도 교수자의 몫이다 . 교수자는 이를 위해서 언어적 및 비언적 의사소통 방법을 모두 동원해야 한다 . 의과대학 수업평가에 관한 연구에 의하면 [1], 의과대학 학생들은 교수자의 ‘강의 전달 능력 ’을 수업평가의 가장 중요한 요소로 꼽았다 . 눈 마주침, 표정, 제스처, 자세, 목소리의 특성, 말투, 빠르기 등 교수자의 비언어적 의사소통 방식에 따라서 수업의 성공 여부가 크게 좌우된다는 것이다 . 교수자의 이야기 방식, 즉 비언어적 의사소통은 교육 과정에서 매우 중요하다 . 왜냐하면 인간은 대부분의 정보를 시각과 청각을 통해 수집하는데 비언어적 의사소통은 시각과 청각 정보를 자극하는 의사소통 방식이기 때문이다 . 교수자들은 비언어적 의사소통 방식에 관심을 가지고 이를 개선하려고 노력할 필요가 있다 . 대표적인 비언어적 의사소통 방식과 그 영향을 살펴본다 [2].

Longitudinal analysis of the effect of academic failure tolerance on academic achievement fluctuation in medical school students.

Purpose: Academic failure tolerance (AFT) is one of the important psychological concepts in education, but its applications in medical education are rare. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of academic failure tolerance on academic achievement fluctuation among medical school students using a longitudinal research design. Methods: The subjects were 43 medical students who responded to the AFT test. This study analyzed the longitudinal data of achievement scores up to the 2nd academic year (2012–2013) among students who were divided into academic achievement improvement and decline groups. Results: Comparing the improvement and decline groups’ mean academic achievement fluctuation scores demonstrated that behavior and preferred task difficulty showed high scores whereas feeling scores were lower in the improvement group (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the improvement group, despite the higher negative feeling scores during academic failure, the students favored the more difficult subjects and were more assiduous in their studies. This will form an important basis for enhancing academic achievement among medical students.

Experiences of medical teachers in flipped learning for medical students: a phenomenological study

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of medical teachers in the process of adapting flipped learning method through a phenomenological approach. Methods Semi-structured interviews with five medical teachers from two medical colleges and one medical school were conducted in December, 2017. Data analysis was done according to Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological methodology. Results A total of 160 unique significant statements were extracted. These statements generated 17 formulated meanings that were categorized into seven theme clusters and four theme categories. Main themes were: (1) teacher with high levels of passion and motivation; (2) hurdles of flipped learning: students were still passive, struggling in preparing for flipped learning; (3) positive changes from flipped learning: changes to classroom environment and teachers’ reflection through experience; and (4) challenges of flipped learning: remaining tasks for teachers, expansion of flipped learning. Conclusion Through phenomenological approach, researchers were able to elucidate categories about the experience of medical teachers when attempting flipped learning. Although medical teachers did not have the exact same idea on how flipped learning was conducted and implemented, the perception of flipped learning, or difficulties in class activities, they were still wondering how they could teach students well. This study might draw more attention to flipped learning and stimulate educational and institutional supports to improve teaching and learning in medical schools.

Do basic psychological needs affect student engagement in medical school

Purpose The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of basic psychological needs of learners on student engagement in medical school. Methods A total of 91 first-year and second-year medical students participated in this study. Their basic psychological needs were determined. Student engagement scales were utilized to determine their engagement. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results Basic psychological needs showed a total explanatory power of 13% for student engagement (F=5.27, p<0.01). Competence (β=0.295, p<0.01) had statistically significant effect on student engagement. Conclusion Results of the present study verified that student engagement could be determined by learner’s traits. Among psychological traits of learners, student engagement was significantly affected by competence. Thus, medical school should provide various experiences to satisfy competence as a basic psychological need of learners.

Potential bias factors that affect the course evaluation of students in preclinical courses

Purpose We aim to identify what potential bias factors affected students’ overall course evaluation, and to observe what factors should be considered in the curriculum evaluation system of medical schools. Methods This study analyzed students’ ratings of preclinical instructions at the Ajou University School of Medicine. The ratings of instructions involved 41 first-year and 45 second-year medical students. Results There was a statistically significant difference between years of study and ratings’ scoring. Learning difficulty, learning amount, student assessment, and teacher preparation from second-year students were significantly higher than first-year students (p<0.05). The analysis results revealed that student assessment was the predictor of ratings from first-year students, while teacher preparation was the predictor of ratings from second-year students. Conclusion We found significant interactions between year of study and the students’ rating results. We were able to confirm that satisfaction of instructions factors perceived by medical students were different for the characteristics of courses. Our results may be an important resource for evaluating preclinical curriculums.

The mediating effect of calling on the relationship between medical school students’ academic burnout and empathy

Purpose This study is aimed at identifying the relationships between medical school students’ academic burnout, empathy, and calling, and determining whether their calling has a mediating effect on the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. Methods A mixed method study was conducted. One hundred twenty-seven medical students completed a survey. Scales measuring academic burnout, medical students’ empathy, and calling were utilized. For statistical analysis, correlation analysis, descriptive statistics analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. For qualitative approach, eight medical students participated in a focus group interview. Results The study found that empathy has a statistically significant, negative correlation with academic burnout, while having a significant, positive correlation with calling. Sense of calling proved to be an effective mediator of the relationship between academic burnout and empathy. Conclusion This result demonstrates that calling is a key variable that mediates the relationship between medical students’ academic burnout and empathy. As such, this study provides baseline data for an education that could improve medical students’ empathy skills.

Can disclosure of scoring rubric for basic clinical skills improve objective structured clinical examination

Purpose: To determine whether disclosure of scoring rubric for objective basic clinical skills can improve the scores on the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in medical students. Methods: Clinical performance score results of one university medical students (study group, n=345) were compared to those of another university (control group, n=1,847). Both groups took identical OSCE exam. OSCE rubric was not revealed to the study group until they were in the last 2 years of medical school. Results: There was no significant difference between before and after disclosure of rubric. However, history taking and physical examination scores of the study group were lower than those of the control group before the disclosure of rubric. After disclosure of rubric, the scores were either unchanged or slightly increased in the control group. Trend analysis of scores demonstrated that history taking and physical examination scores after the disclosure were significantly increased in the study group for 2 years. Conclusion: This study revealed that disclosure of basic clinical skills rubric to medical students could enhance their clinical performance, particularly in history taking and physical examination scores.