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Perceptions of Gen Z Medical Students on Interactive Teaching Methods in Gross Anatomy: A Cross-sectional Study |
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Saminathan Suganya, Govindarajan Amudha, Merlin Veronika 1. Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 2. Professor, Department of Anatomy, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. 3. Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. |
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Correspondence Address : Saminathan Suganya, Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, PSG Medical College, Off, Avinashi Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore-641004, Tamil Nadu, India. E-mail: suganss02@gmail.com |
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| ABSTRACT |  | ||||||
: Introduction: Anatomy remains a cornerstone of medical education, yet its vast volume often leads to poor long-term retention. As the current curriculum moves toward student-centric models, understanding how Gen Z (Generation Z roughly born between 1997-2012) learners perceive various interactive teaching methods beyond traditional didactic lectures is essential for curricular optimisation. Aim: To compare the perceived efficacy of Interactive Lectures (IL), Self-Directed Learning (SDL), and Peer Discussion (PD) in fostering understanding of concepts and retention of gross Anatomy among medical undergraduates. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional survey was conducted at PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, from January to May 2025. Data from 309 students were collected via a 5-point Likert scale instrument. The data were analysed using Kruskal-Wallis H tests for inter-method comparison followed by Dunn-Bonferroni post-hoc test analysis (Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.20). Results: Data were collected from 309 students (Phase I: n=196; Phase II: n=113) comprising 151 males (48.9%) and 158 females (51.1%), with a mean age of 18.9±0.9 years. PD emerged as the superior method for both long-term retention (4.72±0.45) and exam-day recollection (4.68±0.47). In contrast, SDL was rated significantly lower, particularly regarding topic retention (2.72±1.08; p<0.001). Conclusion: Peer-led environments and IL outperformed unstructured SDL. The marked dissatisfaction with SDL suggests that, without formal training or structured faculty-led facilitation, independent learning may be counterproductive in a high-volume subject like anatomy. | |||||||
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| Keywords : Academic performance, Curriculum, Generation Z, Medical school, Questionnaire | |||||||
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DOI and Others :
DOI: 10.7860/IJARS/2026/88381.3106
Date of Submission: Feb 19, 2026 Date of Peer Review: Mar 21, 2026 Date of Acceptance: May 11, 2026 Date of Publishing: Jul 01, 2026 AUTHOR DECLARATION: • Financial or Other Competing Interests: None • Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes • Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes • For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS: • Plagiarism X-checker: Mar 19, 2026 • Manual Googling: May 04, 2026 • iThenticate Software: May 09, 2026 (1%) ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin EMENDATIONS: 8 |
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