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. 2025 May 30;17(5):e85092.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.85092. eCollection 2025 May.

Medical Students' Perception of Educational Environment in a Newly Established Institute of National Importance in Eastern Uttar Pradesh: A Cross-Sectional, Questionnaire-Based Study

Vijaya Laxmi  1 , Tejas K Patel  1 , Shahid Malik  2 , Amit Ranjan  3
Affiliations

Medical Students' Perception of Educational Environment in a Newly Established Institute of National Importance in Eastern Uttar Pradesh: A Cross-Sectional, Questionnaire-Based Study

Vijaya Laxmi et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background The educational environment in medical education is essential, as both physical and psychological factors significantly impact students' learning experiences, well-being, and growth as medical professionals. A well-organized and supportive environment enhances student engagement, motivation, and academic performance. Assessing and enhancing the educational environment is crucial for ensuring its effectiveness. Students' perceptions play a vital role in evaluating the learning atmosphere and its impact. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a well-established tool for assessing the educational environment. Collecting baseline data on students' perceptions in a newly established medical college can provide valuable insights, serving as a foundation for implementing improvements and necessary changes to enhance the learning experience. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 412 medical students from all semesters (first to ninth semester). Students' perceptions were assessed using the 50-item DREEM questionnaire, which covers five key domains, namely, students' perception of learning (SPL), students' perception of teachers (SPT), students' academic self-perceptions (SASP), students' perception of atmosphere (SPA), and students' social self-perceptions (SSSP). Responses were recorded on a five-point Likert scale, and the data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, with a significance level set at a p-value <0.05. Results The mean DREEM score and the mean domain scores were calculated. The mean global DREEM score was 114.77 ± 5.40, indicating a generally positive perception of the educational environment. The total score for the SPL domain was 28.74 out of 48 (60%), reflecting a predominantly positive perception. The SPT domain scored 24.72 out of 44 (56%), suggesting progress in the right direction. The SASP domain had a total score of 17.95 out of 32 (56%), indicating a leaning toward a positive outlook. The SPA domain scored 26.9 out of 48 (56%), signifying a favorable atmosphere, while the SSSP domain had a score of 15.96 out of 28 (57%), interpreted as not too bad. Conclusions All domain scores exceeded 55%, and the overall total score of 114.77 on the DREEM scale confirmed a predominantly positive perception of the educational environment.

Keywords: dreem questionnaire; educational environment; medical education; medical students; self-perception.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Human Ethics Committee, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur issued approval IHEC/AIIMS-GKP/BMR/158/2023. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Total DREEM score across semesters.
The overall DREEM score was 114.65 ± 20.05 out of 200. DREEM: Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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