Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, P.O. Box 22979, Kingdom of Bahrain.
Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine & Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.
BMC Med Educ. 2019 Jul 18;19(1):269. doi: 10.1186/s12909-019-1699-3.
The relationship between large-group classroom attendance by students and test achievement in problem-based learning (PBL) curricula is unclear. This study examined the correlation between attendance at resource sessions (hybrid lectures in the PBL curriculum) and test scores achieved in pharmacology and determined whether the score achieved was related to student gender.
A cross-sectional observational study over one academic year of 1404 pre-clerkship medical students was performed. Class attendance during pharmacology resource sessions and MCQ test scores achieved in pharmacology were analysed.
The percentage of students' attendance in resource sessions declined over three years of the programme, from 78.7 ± 27.5 in unit I to 22.1 ± 35.6 (mean ± SD) in unit IX. A significant but weakly positive correlation was evident between attendance and achievement in pharmacology (r = 0.280; p < 0.0001). The mean score of the students who attended > 50% of the resource sessions was significantly higher (p < 0.0001). Students who attended ≤50% were more likely to achieve lower tertile scores. The mean score achieved and the number of higher tertile scorers were higher among students who attended > 50% of the resource sessions. Although female students' attendance was significantly higher, no significant gender-related differences in either mean scores or top grades achieved were found.
In a PBL curriculum, the classroom attendance of students in pharmacology declined during the pre-clerkship phase. A weak positive correlation was found between attendance and academic achievement, as measured by MCQ test scores. Factors other than motivation and attendance may confound gender-based academic performance and merit further research.
学生参加大班级课堂与基于问题的学习（PBL）课程中的测试成绩之间的关系尚不清楚。本研究检查了资源课程（PBL 课程中的混合讲座）的出勤率与药理学测试成绩之间的相关性，并确定了所取得的成绩是否与学生性别有关。
对一个学年的 1404 名预科医学学生进行了横断面观察性研究。分析了药理学资源课程期间的班级出勤率和药理学 MCQ 测试成绩。
在该课程的三年中，学生参加资源课程的出勤率呈下降趋势，从第一单元的 78.7±27.5%下降到第九单元的 22.1±35.6%（平均值±标准差）。出勤率与药理学成绩之间存在显著但弱的正相关（r=0.280；p<0.0001）。参加>50%资源课程的学生的平均分数明显更高（p<0.0001）。参加<50%资源课程的学生更有可能获得较低的三分位数分数。参加>50%资源课程的学生的平均分数和获得较高三分位数分数的人数更高。尽管女学生的出勤率明显较高，但在平均分数或获得的高分方面并未发现明显的性别差异。
在 PBL 课程中，预科阶段学生在药理学课程中的出勤率下降。出勤率与 MCQ 测试成绩等学术成绩之间存在弱正相关。除了动机和出勤率之外，其他因素可能会影响基于性别的学业成绩，值得进一步研究。
