Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In medical training, statistics is considered a very difficult course to learn and teach. Current studies have found that students’ attitudes toward statistics can influence their learning process. Measuring, evaluating and monitorin...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2012-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/12/117 |
| _version_ | 1818275389018996736 |
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| author | Zhang Yuhai Shang Lei Wang Rui Zhao Qinbo Li Chanjuan Xu Yongyong Su Haixia |
| author_facet | Zhang Yuhai Shang Lei Wang Rui Zhao Qinbo Li Chanjuan Xu Yongyong Su Haixia |
| author_sort | Zhang Yuhai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In medical training, statistics is considered a very difficult course to learn and teach. Current studies have found that students’ attitudes toward statistics can influence their learning process. Measuring, evaluating and monitoring the changes of students’ attitudes toward statistics are important. Few studies have focused on the attitudes of postgraduates, especially medical postgraduates. Our purpose was to understand current attitudes regarding statistics held by medical postgraduates and explore their effects on students’ achievement. We also wanted to explore the influencing factors and the sources of these attitudes and monitor their changes after a systematic statistics course.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 539 medical postgraduates enrolled in a systematic statistics course completed the pre-form of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics −28 scale, and 83 postgraduates were selected randomly from among them to complete the post-form scale after the course.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most medical postgraduates held positive attitudes toward statistics, but they thought statistics was a very difficult subject. The attitudes mainly came from experiences in a former statistical or mathematical class. Age, level of statistical education, research experience, specialty and mathematics basis may influence postgraduate attitudes toward statistics. There were significant positive correlations between course achievement and attitudes toward statistics. In general, student attitudes showed negative changes after completing a statistics course.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The importance of student attitudes toward statistics must be recognized in medical postgraduate training. To make sure all students have a positive learning environment, statistics teachers should measure their students’ attitudes and monitor their change of status during a course. Some necessary assistance should be offered for those students who develop negative attitudes.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:28:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9367d1ad35842a984bcb442a25dba3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6920 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T22:28:58Z |
| publishDate | 2012-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9367d1ad35842a984bcb442a25dba3e2022-12-22T00:09:40ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202012-11-0112111710.1186/1472-6920-12-117Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoringZhang YuhaiShang LeiWang RuiZhao QinboLi ChanjuanXu YongyongSu Haixia<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In medical training, statistics is considered a very difficult course to learn and teach. Current studies have found that students’ attitudes toward statistics can influence their learning process. Measuring, evaluating and monitoring the changes of students’ attitudes toward statistics are important. Few studies have focused on the attitudes of postgraduates, especially medical postgraduates. Our purpose was to understand current attitudes regarding statistics held by medical postgraduates and explore their effects on students’ achievement. We also wanted to explore the influencing factors and the sources of these attitudes and monitor their changes after a systematic statistics course.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 539 medical postgraduates enrolled in a systematic statistics course completed the pre-form of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics −28 scale, and 83 postgraduates were selected randomly from among them to complete the post-form scale after the course.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most medical postgraduates held positive attitudes toward statistics, but they thought statistics was a very difficult subject. The attitudes mainly came from experiences in a former statistical or mathematical class. Age, level of statistical education, research experience, specialty and mathematics basis may influence postgraduate attitudes toward statistics. There were significant positive correlations between course achievement and attitudes toward statistics. In general, student attitudes showed negative changes after completing a statistics course.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The importance of student attitudes toward statistics must be recognized in medical postgraduate training. To make sure all students have a positive learning environment, statistics teachers should measure their students’ attitudes and monitor their change of status during a course. Some necessary assistance should be offered for those students who develop negative attitudes.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/12/117Medical postgraduateStatisticsSurvey of attitudes toward statistics |
| spellingShingle | Zhang Yuhai Shang Lei Wang Rui Zhao Qinbo Li Chanjuan Xu Yongyong Su Haixia Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring BMC Medical Education Medical postgraduate Statistics Survey of attitudes toward statistics |
| title | Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring |
| title_full | Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring |
| title_short | Attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates: measuring, evaluating and monitoring |
| title_sort | attitudes toward statistics in medical postgraduates measuring evaluating and monitoring |
| topic | Medical postgraduate Statistics Survey of attitudes toward statistics |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/12/117 |
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