title: Students' perceptions of their learning environment at the College of Medicine, University of Ilorin, Southwest, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of medical school graduates is influenced by cumulative effect of their learning environment. Measurement of such environment at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria was done by evaluating Students' perception using the DREEM questionnaires, with a view to improving the quality of medical education.
  
  
  METHODS
  DREEM questionnaire was applied to second, third, fourth and fifth year medical students, for assessment of the various aspects of effective educational environment. Responses were analyzed using SPSS software version 19.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and eighty students (66.2%) were males and 92 (33.8%) females. The mean age was 21.2 years ± 2.5 with 83 (30.5%) students in second year of study, 68 (25.0%) in third year, 80 (29.4%) in fourth year and 41 (15.1%) in fifth year. Mean global perception score was 108.4 / 200 points (54.2%) and this was not affected by sex, age and year of study. Scores for "Students' Perception of Learning" (SPL) and "Students' Academic Self Perceptions" (SASP) were 28.0/48 (58.8%) and 21.8/32 (68.1%) respectively. Three key areas are in need of attention; "Students' Perception of Course Organizers" (SPCO) (22.0/44, 50.0%), "Students' Perception of Atmosphere" (SPA) (23.8/48, 49.6%) and "Students' Social Self Perceptions" (SSSP) (12.8/28, 45.7%). The SSSP score was significantly higher in males (13.18) than in females (12.06) (p=0.02; p < 0.05), and in second (13.38) and third year (13.55) students compared to fourth year (12.16) and fifth year (11.76) (p=0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement in some aspect of teaching, atmosphere and social factors could be of further benefit to the students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Health Sciences,Benue State University. PMB 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Buhari
authors.forename: I A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Nwannadi
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Oghagbon
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bello
mesh_terms: D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D012931:Social Environment; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult