title: Students' perception of the educational environment in medical college: a study based on DREEM questionnaire.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The educational environment (EE) plays a very important role in effective student learning. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) is a validated tool to assess the EE. This study aimed to collect baseline information about our medical student's perception of the EE, and to identify areas of strengths and weaknesses as well as scope for improvements in the current EE.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical students and interns were included in this cross-sectional study. The DREEM questionnaire was used to measure students' perceptions about the EE, which has five domains: students' perceptions of learning; students' perceptions of teachers; students' academic self-perceptions; students' perceptions of atmosphere; and students' social self-perceptions. Students were asked to respond using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Data was analyzed using suitable tests and statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean global DREEM score was 123/200. All students had more positive than negative academic self-perception (21.24/32), perception of atmosphere (29.21/48), and perception of learning (28.99/48), while their social self-perception (17.48/28) was not too bad and perception of teachers (26.71/44) moved in the right direction. The fifth semester students perceived EE more positively than other semester students.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study revealed that all students perceived their EE positively. The positive points were that teachers were knowledgeable, that students had good friends, and they were confident about passing their exams. Problem areas observed were authoritarian teachers, overemphasis on factual learning, overly teacher-centered teaching, teachers getting angry, and the need for a support system for stressed students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Asmita Ashok
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1038-6114
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Terna Medical College, Navi Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Vijaya Laxman
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-7114-9908
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Chaudhari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D004777:Environment; D005180:Faculty, Medical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012649:Self Concept; D012931:Social Environment; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Academic; Atmosphere; Learning; Social self-perception; Teachers