@2024 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2228-5468    Education Strategies in Medical Sciences 2015;8(1):7-14

Background
… [1-11] Based on the learning theory, the attitude is a state of mental and neurological readiness achieved through experience and with a direct and dynamic effect on the individual's response to all the issues and opportunities related to attitude [12]. Based on the cognitive view, the attitude is a sustainable organization of motivational, emotional, and cognitive perception in relation to some aspects of the world [13]. West et al. designed a questionnaire to assess attitudes towards basic science courses, and emphasized the importance of this subject [4].
Previous Studies
Medical students who are trained according to traditional methods (i.e. the way in which basic science courses are taught without paying attention to application) do not pay attention to the basic science courses, while students who are trained according to the new method (the way in which the basic courses are taught emphasizing the importance of clinical applications) had more emphasis on the need for more and accurate attention on the basic science [14]. Residents and anesthesiologists emphasize the need for proper training of basic science courses before entering the training course; however, anesthesiologists highly emphasize this domain which indicates the impact of experience on their attitudes [15]. Medical students do not have a positive attitude to the importance of the basic courses, but their tendency is toward integrative teaching method of the basic sciences [16].
Aim(s)
The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of undergraduate and graduate students of physiotherapy to the basic sciences courses.
Research type
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study designed through easy access.
Research society, place and time
Undergraduate and graduate students of physiotherapy in Rehabilitation Departments of Iran and Tehran Medical Schools were studied in October and November 2012.
Sampling method and number
151 subjects participated in the study. There were 99 undergraduate physiotherapy students of first, third, fifth and seventh semesters. There were 47 MA physiotherapy students of first and third semesters. 5 students had not specified their gender, so 146 students were enrolled. The fall semester was selected, because undergraduate freshmen were registered in the semester without any previous exposure to the basic science courses.
Used devices&materials
To assess students' attitudes toward basic science courses, written questionnaire of West et. al. was used [4]. The validity and reliability of a Persian version of this questionnaire has been determined [16]. In the questionnaire of attitude to basic science courses, according to a Likert scale, there were 5 options, “totally agree” (5 marks), “agree” (four marks), “no opinion” (three marks), “disagree” (2 marks) and “totally disagree" (one mark). Therefore, the total score of subjects is between 9 and 45, and the higher the total score, the higher the positive attitude of subjects to the basic science courses is. In the questionnaire, there are two subscales of importance (consisting of 5 first items) and the effectiveness (of 4 last items). Overall rating of two parts reflects the attitude of individuals. Data was investigated through SPSS 17 software using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, in compliance of frequency distribution of quantitative variables with the natural theoretical distribution. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the attitudes and subscales in different semesters. Independent T test was used to evaluate the effect of gender or educational level on students 'responses to each item or the rate of attitude, and Logistic Regression was used to evaluate the correlation between the students' attitudes and their responses to the asked questions about their willingness to continue their education.
Findings by Text
In the undergraduate level of physiotherapy, in the first, third, fifth and seventh semesters, there were 73 female students (mean age 19.76 ± 2.73years) and 26 male students (mean age 20.79 ± 1.51years); and in the MA level in the first and third semesters, there were 30 female students (mean age 25.00± 1.95 years) and 17 male students (mean age 26.88 ± 4.32 years). There was no significant difference between mean score of the female BA and MA students' responses to the questionnaire items (except the item 7) and the mean response of the male undergraduate and graduate level students (except the item 4). In examining the students' opinion based on gender, except the items 1, 4, 7 and 8, there was no significant difference between males and females (Table 1). No statistical significance difference was observed between the mean scores of undergraduate and graduate students in different academic semesters. There was a significant correlation between the mean of total scores and the subscale of importance totally and regardless of the semester of the study in both genders and undergraduate and graduate levels. In the first and third semesters in the undergraduate level, the mean of attitude scores and the subscales of the importance and effectiveness did not have any significant difference, while in the fifth and seventh semesters, the mean scores of females were significantly higher than the males. In the MA level, the attitude and the subscale of importance of females were significantly more positive than men in the first semester (Table 2). In response to the question about the study in the fields of basic science course, there was no significant difference in the response of the subjects who were not willing to continue their education at a personal cost in one of the basic science courses and those who wish, and the attitude did not have any significant effect on the outcome of decision-making.
Main comparison to the similar studies
Physiotherapy students had a positive attitude toward the basic science courses. Female students had more positive attitudes than male students. Women, unlike men, paid more attention to know the details of the biological treatment. In view of males, satisfactory result was more important than the detailed method of treatment and by raising the level of education, attitude of women came near that of men. Female undergraduate students put more emphasis on the importance and effectiveness of the basic sciences courses. Despite the positive attitude to the basic science courses, female and male students have asigned equal importance and effectiveness to the basic sciences courses. Other studies have had similar results [4, 14, 15]. Female students are more likely to know the details of physiological processes [17]. Medical students who use the integrated program acknowledge that their working future depends on learning of the basic sciences (item 8); however, students who use the traditional methods do not have such an opinion [16]. In response to item 8, there is a significant difference between the medical students at the beginning and end of the training course with the new method and students at the end of the training course highly emphasize this point [18]. Psychological factors (such as a mental history of treatment, good and bad memories of the subjects from the result of treatment, etc.) as much as physical factors are important in the process of treatment (item 3) [14, 18]. Medical students, who have trained on basis of early exposure to patient and clinical application of basic science principles, have more positive attitude to the role of the basic sciences in treatment of patients compared to the students who have been traditionally trained in the basic sciences continuously during the first two years of education [4, 19]. Comparison between traditional teaching methods and integration methods of the basic sciences shows lack of applicability of theoretical basic science courses of traditional methods in the clinical practice [16]. … [20-23] According to medical students, early exposure to clinical settings leads to their better studying and more pleasure in learning medicine [5, 24, 25]. … [26]
Suggestions
Attitudes of the students in higher semesters of MA and PhD levels should, also, be examined. Opinions of the lecturers of the rehabilitation departments about the basic science courses should be examined.
Limitations
The small sample size in the 7th semester of BA, lack of access to students in the higher MA semesters and the small number of male students in the classroom were the limitations of this study.
Conclusions
Bachelor and master students’ positive attitudes toward the basic science are affected by their gender; and women pay more attention to learn the details of the physiological process of treatment, while men are more likely to emphasize on the results of the treatment without emphasis on learning the details of the physiological process of treatment. Increasing the number of women in the master levels, their attitude get closer to men. All students agree on the impact of psychological factors on the treatment process as much as physical factors.
Acknowledgments
Participating students are appreciated.
Conflict of interest
Non-declared
Ethical Permissions
This study was approved by Iran and Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences.
Funding Sources
The study has been funded using research budget approved by Iran University of Medical Sciences.

TABLES and CHARTS

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