Educational impact of assessment on medical students’ learning at Tehran University of Medical Sciences: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES: It has been shown that assessment strongly affects students’ performance. A deeper insight needs to be gained into the interplay of assessment and learning. The aim of the current study was to develop a model to explain the educational impact of assessments on students’ learning, before, during and after the test. DESIGN: This study used semistructured interviews, focus group discussions and observation and collection of field notes. A qualitative methodology using the grounded theory data analysis approach was then used to generate an explanation of the process of how assessment impacts students’ learning. SETTING: School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were medical students and teachers with first-hand experience or expertise in assessment as well as their willingness to participate in the study. Fifteen people (eight medical students, seven faculty members) were interviewed. One focus group discussion (with five students) was held. RESULTS: The extracted concepts from our study were classified into four main categories. These categories include elements of the assessment programme which affect learning, the mechanism through which they exert their effects, contextual factors and the impact they have on learning. These elements and their interplay occur within an environment with its antecedent characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested a model for understanding the elements of the assessment which, within the context, affect learning, the mechanisms through which they impart their effects and the final outcomes obtained.