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A foundational knowledge assessment tool to predict academic performance of medical students in first-year anatomy and physiology

Adv Physiol Educ. 2022 Sep 15. doi: 10.1152/advan.00017.2022. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Misalignment in teaching pedagogies between secondary schools and tertiary institutions have exacerbated educational disparities amongst students from different backgrounds. Given the variation in students’ educational background and competencies there was a need to develop an Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) Foundational Knowledge Assessment to establish the levels of preparedness of first-year medical students. Previous work that focused on the development of the assessment showed it to be effective in measuring students’ foundational knowledge in human anatomy and physiology. ​The aim of this study is to assess the validity of the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment in determining students’ prior knowledge and predicting academic performance of first-year students in their anatomy and physiology studies. Three hundred and seventy first-year students, across two cohort years 2017 and 2018, completed the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and Pearson’s correlation. Results show that for both cohorts, approximately 30% of students scored less than or equal to 55% and were potentially at risk of performing poorly in their anatomy and physiology studies. Pearson’s correlation showed a significant relationship between students’ performance on the foundational knowledge assessment and their anatomy and physiology assessments. For both cohorts more than 10% of students identified by the A&P Foundational Knowledge Assessment were either at risk of failing the course, entering an extended degree programme, or being excluded from the programme. Results indicate that the assessment is a good predictor for differentiating medical students’ performance in first-year anatomy and physiology.

PMID:36108059 | DOI:10.1152/advan.00017.2022

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