Exploring the existing situation of teacher-student communication in an undergraduate medical education setup

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Effective teacher-student communication is a key determinant of teaching-learning in the medical undergraduate context. However, such communication may be influenced by various factors including the attitudes of teachers and students, language barrier, influence of senior students etc. This research aimed to explore the opinions of teachers and students regarding this. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted using focus-group-discussions (FGD) and individual interviews at Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. A representative sample of67 students from five academic batches participated in focus-groups. Twelve academic staff members participated in individual interviews. Both FGDs and interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Main concerns of teachers and students regarding communication between the two parties were explored based on their personal experiences and opinions and possible reasons that have led to a communication gap. While teachers believed issues of respect, unavailability of time and limited individual attention per student have limited their communication with students, students had varied opinions including self-confidence of each student as a major determinant of communication with teachers. Use of English as the medium of formal communication, cultural backwardness, influence of senior students creating pre-conceptualized notions regarding teachers and lack of mutual understanding by teachers have led to a 'communication gap' between students and teachers. CONCLUSION: It was realized that individual attention per student by teachers and self-confidence of student in communication had to be improved while influence of culture, use of language and pre-conceived ideas were also main concerns in uplifting the quality of teacher student communication in undergraduate medical education.