How to Improve Medical Education Most Effectively: A Student Perspective

Martin Vejražka, Dean Pavlovič, Dagmar Tomková

Charles University, First Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic

TITLE

BACKGROUND

Efforts to improve medical education typically focus on curricular design, learning outcomes, and assessment formats. Comparatively little attention is paid to how students themselves conceptualise the underlying causes of problems in teaching and learning. Exploring students’ perspectives may help identify educational interventions that students find most impactful.

SUMMARY OF WORK

This qualitative study explored medical students’ perspectives on factors influencing the quality of undergraduate medical education at a single medical faculty. Semi-structured interviews with medical students were analysed using grounded theory methodology. Twenty-five interviews were conducted, with data collection continuing until theoretical saturation was achieved. Coding and category development were supported by AI-assisted qualitative analysis combined with iterative human review.

SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Students consistently identified insufficient pedagogical competence of teaching staff as the central factor underlying deficiencies in teaching quality. This core category manifested across three interrelated domains.

First, students described inadequate work with learning outcomes, including their absence or unclear formulation and poor alignment with teaching activities and assessment. Second, they reported deficient feedback practices, encompassing both limited feedback provided by teachers to students and insufficient use of student feedback by teachers.

Third, shortcomings in teachers’ organisational and leadership roles were associated with poorly organised and ineffective teaching and learning.

Limited facilitation skills were also reflected in a less supportive learning environment. According to students, the interaction of these factors resulted in low perceived teaching quality and reduced satisfaction with learning.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

From the student perspective, the most effective way to improve medical education is through systematic development of teachers’ pedagogical competencies rather than isolated curricular reforms. The most prominent deficits concern competencies related to working with learning outcomes, feedback literacy, and organisational and leadership skills. Faculty development programmes targeting these core pedagogical competencies may therefore have a substantial impact on teaching quality and the overall student learning experience.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE(S)

Students identify teachers’ pedagogical competence as the key determinant of their learning experience. Feedback literacy, meaningful work with learning outcomes, and organisational skills emerge as core components of effective teaching. Comprehensive faculty development is perceived as a high-impact strategy for improving medical education.

Název projektu: ESF+ na UK. Registrační číslo: CZ.02.02.XX/00/23_022/0008957