How do students perceive the learning climate during the inverted classroom in surgery? Lessons learned and recommendations for their implementation

Abstract

Introduction/Aims: The use of the inverted classroom as a teaching approach in the surgical curriculum is under development. There is a need for studies informing about their effectiveness and relationship with the learning climate. The aim of this study is to present the accumulated measurement of the learning climate in the inverted classroom in surgery, and share some recommendations for its implementation.

Material and Method: The Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) evaluated the student´s perceptions about the learning climate. The overall score of instrument, as its five domains were calculated.

Results: A total of 444 students were included. The overall DREEM score indicated a learning climate of excellence. In general, teaching was well perceived by the students, who felt confident about their academic abilities, perceived their teachers as models, identified a positive attitude in the learning atmosphere, and perceived an acceptable social environment.

Discussion: The approach of inverted classroom in surgery is associated with a productive learning climate. These results provide new evidence to the high levels of student satisfaction and adequate perceptions about student self-confidence for learning in surgery showed in other studies.

Conclusions: The longitudinal measurement of the learning climate in surgery by using the inverted classroom model demonstrates scores of excellence in the evaluated population. Further studies are needed to explore in depth their effects on learning and cognitive abilities in students.