Persistence and Academic Performance of Medical Students in Online Learning Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Mohsin M Syed, Noor Akhter, Mohamed Mostafa Ibrahim, Laura C Stanley

Abstract


Government response to the COVID 19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 came as a wave of physical closures requiring sudden change in the method of instruction from face-to-face to a completely online. Assessment of students adaptation to this change during emergency lockdown is the focus of this study. We used a One-way ANOVA to compare pandemic and pre-pandemic Performance of First Year medical students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the brain and behavior module. Students’ test scores related to perception of persistence levels was studied using correlation analysis. In addition, a regression analysis was performed to examine prediction factors of medical student course grades during COVID-19. Students’ grades in the module during the COVID-19 were significantly higher compared to the grades in recent prior years at the p<.001 level [F (3, 692) = 9.08].  Pearson product-moment correlation results showed a strong and positive correlation between students’ persistence level (M = 3.46, SD = .997, n = 79), and their module grade during COVID-19 (M = 258.777, SD = 14.6878, n = 79), r = .33, p = < .01. The multiple linear regression analysis accounts for 14% of the variance in students’ module grades and the variance was statistically significant at p < .05. As such, we conclude that students’ persistence to adjust to a new learning environment coupled with module directors and faculty successfully employing remote education methods, met the learning challenges during the pandemic and students maintained a high level of academic success.


Full Text:

PDF

References


Azevedo, R. (2005). Using Hypermedia as a Metacognitive Tool for Enhancing Student Learning? The Role of Self-Regulated Learning. Educational Psychologist, 40(4), 199-209. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15326985ep4004_2

Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action : a social cognitive theory. Prentice Hall.

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.

Bandura, A. (2001). Social Cognitive Theory: An Agentic Perspective. Annual review of psychology., 52, 1.

Bliss, R., & Jacobson, E. (2020). Doctor of Physical Therapy Student Grit as a Predictor of Academic Success: A Pilot Study. Health Professions Education.

Bol, L., & Garner, J. K. (2011). Challenges in supporting self-regulation in distance education environments. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 23(2), 104-123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-011-9046-7

[Record #1132 is using a reference type undefined in this output style.]

Dedeilia, A., Sotiropoulos, M. G., Hanrahan, J. G., Janga, D., Dedeilias, P., & Sideris, M. (2020). Medical and Surgical Education Challenges and Innovations in the COVID-19 Era: A Systematic Review. In Vivo, 34(3 suppl), 1603-1611.

Delen, E., & Liew, J. (2016). The use of interactive environments to promote self-regulation in online learning: A literature review. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 15(1), 24-33.

Duckworth, A., & Gross, J. J. (2014). Self-control and grit: Related but separable determinants of success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(5), 319-325.

Duckworth, A. L., Kirby, T. A., Tsukayama, E., Berstein, H., & Ericsson, K. A. (2011). Deliberate practice spells success: Why grittier competitors triumph at the National Spelling Bee. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(2), 174-181.

Duckworth, A. L., & Quinn, P. D. (2009). Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S). Journal of Personality Assessment, 91(2), 166-174.

Gloria, A. M. (1997). Chicana academic persistence: Creating a university-based community. Education and Urban Society, 30(1), 107-121.

Gloria, A. M., Castellanos, J., Lopez, A. G., & Rosales, R. (2005). An examination of academic nonpersistence decisions of Latino undergraduates. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 27(2), 202-223.

Gloria, A. M., Kurpius, S. E. R., Hamilton, K. D., & Willson, M. S. (1999). African American students' persistence at a predominantly white university: Influence of social support, university comfort, and self-beliefs. Journal of College Student Development.

Gloria, A. M., & Robinson Kurpius, S. E. (2001). Influences of self-beliefs, social support, and comfort in the university environment on the academic nonpersistence decisions of American Indian undergraduates. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 7(1), 88.

Huéscar Hernández, E., Moreno-Murcia, J. A., Cid, L., Monteiro, D., & Rodrigues, F. (2020). Passion or perseverance? The effect of perceived autonomy support and grit on academic performance in college students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), 2143.

Irby, D. M., Cooke, M., & O'Brien, B. C. (2010). Calls for reform of medical education by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: 1910 and 2010. Academic Medicine, 85(2), 220-227.

Miller-Matero, L. R., Martinez, S., MacLean, L., Yaremchuk, K., & Ko, A. B. (2018). Grit: A predictor of medical student performance. Education for Health, 31(2), 109.

Moore, J. L., Dickson-Deane, C., & Galyen, K. (2011). e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? The Internet and Higher Education, 14(2), 129-135.

Pintrich, P. R. (1999). The role of motivation in promoting and sustaining self-regulated learning. International journal of educational research, 31(6), 459-470.

Rayle, A. D., Arredondo, P., & Kurpius, S. E. R. (2005). Educational self‐efficacy of college women: Implications for theory, research, and practice. Journal of Counseling & Development, 83(3), 361-366.

Rayle, A. D., Kurpius, S. E. R., & Arredondo, P. (2006). Relationship of self-beliefs, social support, and university comfort with the academic success of freshman college women. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 8(3), 325-343.

Rojas, J. P., Reser, J. A., Usher, E. L., & Toland, M. D. (2012). Psychometric properties of the academic grit scale. Lexington: University of Kentucky.

Rose, S. (2020). Medical student education in the time of COVID-19. JAMA.

Rovai, A. P., & Downey, J. R. (2010). Why some distance education programs fail while others succeed in a global environment. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(3), 141-147.

Schroeder, R., & Levin, C. (2012). eduMOOC: Open online learning without limits. Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning,

Shechtman, N., DeBarger, A. H., Dornsife, C., Rosier, S., & Yarnall, L. (2013). Promoting grit, tenacity, and perseverance: Critical factors for success in the 21st century. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, Department of Educational Technology, 1, 1-107.

Tough, P. (2012). How children succeed: Grit, curiosity, and the hidden power of character. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Walsh, K. J., & Robinson Kurpius, S. E. (2016). Parental, residential, and self-belief factors influencing academic persistence decisions of college freshmen. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 18(1), 49-67.

Wang, C., Quach, L., & Rolston, J. (2009). Understanding English language learners' self-regulated learning strategies. Newperspectives on Asian American parents, students, and teacher recruitment. United States of America: Information Age.

Wolters, C., & Rosenthal, H. (2000). The relation between students’ motivational beliefs and their use of motivational regulation strategies. International journal of educational research, 33(7-8), 801-820.

Zimmerman, B. J. (1989). Models of self-regulated learning and academic achievement. In Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (pp. 1-25). Springer.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.51383/ijonmes.2021.143

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2021 International Journal of Modern Education Studies

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.