Students perception towards feedback in clinical sciences in an outcome-based integrated curriculum

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Feedback has been identified as one of the key strategies for learning in the outcome-based curriculum. Students are more interested in their grades paying little attention to the feedback, may not understand the importance of feedback and its effect on their performance because of their perception, and beliefs. Non-constructive feedback will not result in the improvement of the students’ performance. This study aims to explore; student’s perception of useful feedback; the purpose of feedback and believes about written feedback. METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2017 to January 2018 at Majmaah University. Students studying in clinical phase were recruited. Data were collected from 121 students by self-structured questionnaire using complete enumeration sampling method. RESULTS: Majority of the students (45.5%) disagreed that the feedback should always contain marks; (49.6%) commented that the tutor did not provide enough constructive feedback. While we ask the purpose of feedback (62.8%), agree with two-way nature of feedback, and it is helpful to find there expected performance. Almost two third (67.8%) of the students believe that limited feedback is the reason for frustration and they did not receive comments for improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Students are aware of the purpose of feedback. Senior students give more value to feedback and in the opinion that feedback provides useful suggestions for future improvement and limited feedback is the reason for frustration. The results highlight the need for more structured feedback mechanism, and there is a need for faculty engagement in training to fill the existing gapes to create an effective educational alliance.