Small group discussions as an effective teaching-learning methodology for learning the principles of family medicine among 2(nd)-year MBBS students

Teaching methodology has a great impact on the learning outcomes in an undergraduate's education. OBJECTIVES: 1. To assess the effectiveness of small group discussions (SGD) over lecture in learning the principles of family medicine among 2(nd)-year MBBS students. 2. To assess the perception of students on SGD over lecture in learning principles of family medicine among 2(nd)-year MBBS students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This medical education, quasi-experimental study was conducted at a medical college in north Kerala. Study subjects were the 2(nd)-year MBBS students of this college. They participated after giving informed consent and were divided into two groups using serial roll number. The study was conducted for 2 months after getting ethical clearance. Study tools included PowerPoint presentation slides, literature regarding principles of family medicine, structured questionnaire, and question paper for posttest. Statistical analysis was done with an independent sample Z-test and Mann-Whitney test, using SPSS 20 software. RESULTS: SGD show a definite advantage over lecture-based learning in improving the attention span of students, understanding the principles of family medicine, and recall. The scores for the overall learning experience was found to be significantly higher for SGD. Evaluating the effectiveness of training on the Kirkpatrick model showed that learners show better satisfaction and learning in small groups. CONCLUSION: Students strongly preferred SGD over lectures as the teaching-learning methodology for principles of family medicine. SGD is a more effective instructional tool in improving the attention span of students, understanding the principles of family medicine, and recall. The overall learning satisfaction was found to be significantly higher with SGD for learning the principles of family medicine.