Perception and Motivation of First-Year Medical Students Regarding the Teaching of Physiology at Alioune Diop University of Bambey: An Exploratory Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/0b1b0s37Keywords:
medical education; physiology; student perception; motivation;UADBAbstract
Background: Physiology is a fundamental and complex discipline in medical education, the mastery of which underpins understanding of clinical sciences. In the African context, characterised by limited teaching resources and growing student cohorts, assessing student perceptions is an essential lever for improving teaching quality.
Objective: This study aims to explore the perceptions and motivations of first-year medical students (Year 1) regarding the teaching of physiology at Alioune Diop University of Bambey (UADB), Senegal.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 39 Year 1 students using a structured anonymous questionnaire with five-level Likert-scale items. Themes covered pedagogical content, tutorial sessions (TD), teacher–student interaction, material conditions, and student motivation.
Results: Students were predominantly female (69.2%), with a mean age of 20.2 years, mostly single (97.4%), and of Senegalese nationality (82.1%). They rated the pedagogical content positively (69–76% agreement on key items) and the teacher–student interaction favourably (87–92% for communication-related items). Tutorial sessions were highly valued, with 76.9% agreement on their contribution to understanding. In contrast, material conditions received mixed to negative ratings: only 38.9% found classrooms suitable. Intrinsic motivation remained high: 89.5% believed that every physiology class can be interesting if one works hard, and 89.7% found the course genuinely interesting.
Conclusion. Despite significant infrastructural constraints, Year 1 students expressed an overall positive perception of physiology teaching and sustained intrinsic motivation. Targeted investment in teaching equipment and the strengthening of tutorial sessions could substantially improve learning outcomes.
References
1. Ganong WF. Review of Medical Physiology. 25th ed.
McGraw-Hill Education; 2019.
2. Guyton AC, Hall JE. Textbook of Medical Physiology.
13th ed. Elsevier; 2015.
3. World Health Organization. Transforming and scaling
up health professionals’ education and training.
Geneva: WHO; 2013.
4. Ramsden P. Learning to Teach in Higher Education.
2nd ed. London: Routledge; 2003.
5. Biggs J, Tang C. Teaching for Quality Learning at
University. 4th ed. Maidenhead: Open University
Press; 2011.6. Deci EL, Ryan RM. The ‘what’ and ‘why’ of goal
pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of
behavior. Psychol Inq. 2000;11(4):227–268.
7. Kusurkar RA, Ten Cate TJ, Vos CM, Westers P, Croiset
G. How motivation affects academic performance: a
structural equation modelling analysis. Adv Health
Sci Educ. 2013;18(1):57–69.
8. Manyacka Ma Nyemb P, Ndoye JM. Evaluation de
l’enseignement d’anatomie à l’UFR des sciences
de la santé de Saint-Louis. Research fr. 2014;1:659.
doi:10.13070/rs.fr.1.659
9. UNESCO. Women in Science. Fact Sheet No. 60. Paris:
UNESCO; 2021.
10. Biggs JB. Student Approaches to Learning and
Studying. Hawthorn: Australian Council for
Educational Research; 1987.
11. Michael J. Where’s the evidence that active learning
works? Adv Physiol Educ. 2006;30(4):159–167.
12. Freeman S, Eddy SL, McDonough M, et al. Active
learning increases student performance in science,
engineering, and mathematics. Proc Natl Acad Sci.
2014;111(23):8410–8415.
13. Manyacka Ma Nyemb P et al. Improving the
receptivity of students during the course of anatomy
by pedagogical innovations.The Internet Journal of
Surgery. 2014;31(2).
14. Manyacka Ma Nyemb P. Studying anatomy through a
problem-based learning approach. MOJ Anat Physiol.
2017;4(5):00150. doi: 10.15406/mojap.2017.04.00150
15. Premkumar K, Vinod E, Sathishkumar S, et al.
Self-directed learning readiness of Indian medical
students: a mixed method study. BMC Med Educ.
2018;18(1):134.
16. Assié-Lumumba NT. Higher Education in Africa:
Crises, Reforms and Transformation. Dakar:
CODESRIA; 2006.
17. Elliot AJ, McGregor HA. A 2x2 achievement goal
framework. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2001;80(3):501–519.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Awa Ba, Mohamadou Alkhalifa Ba, Mor Diaw, Ndèye Fatou Ngom, Gora Mbaye, Babacar Mbengue, Philippe Manyacka Ma Nyemb, Abdoulaye Ba, Lamine Guèye
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright Ownership: Authors retain copyright ownership of their work after publication in IJOP. However, they grant the journal an exclusive Creative Commons license.
Creative Commons License: The authors grant IJOP the right to exclusively apply a Creative Commons license to their work upon publication. This license permits use, distribution, and reproduction of the work in any medium, provided that the original work and its source are properly cited. The specific license applied is Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows for attribution, non-commercial use, and derivative works.
Editorial Research: Authors grant the journal the right to analyze information obtained from submitted manuscripts for editorial research purposes. This analysis aims to improve the peer-review process, teaching, and training activities.
Warranties: Authors warrant that their work is original, contains no libelous statements, is lawful, and does not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, patent, or proprietary rights of others. Authors agree to indemnify the editors against any costs, expenses, and damages arising from any breach of this warranty.
Views and Opinions: The views and opinions expressed in the article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the journal.