Exploring Constructivist Learning Experiences of Medical Students via Reflective Writing

• In Event: Roundtable Session 2
  In Refereed Roundtable Session: Enactment Matters: Empirical Perspectives on Curriculum Implementation

Proposal

Developing projects on students’ own stimulate their interest in learning. It enlarges the learning space of students, thereby, fosters their transferable skills to search, communicate, to be motivated. Projects enable students to construct knowledge based own experiences in contrast to passively absorb information. In fact, constructivist learning approach can be realized via both a project work and writing reflection tools. The aim of this study is to examen medical students’ constructivist learning experiences in project-based learning via reflective writing.
The study design is a case study. It involves Pediatrician specialty students enrolled based on highest GPA scores. Total number of participants 120, eight groups by 15 people. During six meetings students submitted total 653 reflections to their activities on project work. Open ended responses were coded through grounded theory analysis.
The results of the study revealed that students’ constructivist learning was based on the guided tasks. Nevertheless, in average, 93% of students were able to construct knowledge throughout all activities during seven meetings. Due to lack of experience, prior to second class students were unable to build holistic understanding the project work, as a result only 72% enable to connect ideas with the previous class. The following classes 91%, 86%, and 89% of students identified ideas connected with previous class. Finally, 68% respondents refer to presentation as understanding of the resolution of their raised problem. 92% (110) of students received highest grades (95-100) for their projects.

Author

• Guldana Akhmetova, Karaganda Medical University