A survey assessing quality of teaching in Government homoeopathic medical college Calicut

Dr Shahid  U

Abstract
Background:  Through the survey, we are assessing the quality of teaching in our college. Since this is a student survey, first of all, we can understand whether the students are satisfied in the teaching method followed in our college. We can make use of the results and data of this survey for improving the quality of teaching in our college. Since we use different parameters for assessment we can understand on what grounds quality has to be improved.

This quality assessment can be used for systematic and professional quality improvement which directly reflect in the efficiency of BHMS students. This will reflects in the whole system of homoeopathy and health sector of India and specially Kerala.

Methods: Institutional cross-sectional survey was carried out during December-October 2023- 2024, in Government Homoeopathic Medical College, Calicut in Kerala, India involving 350 participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed for the purpose depending on earlier studies on medical students. 129 responses were analysed in the end.

Results: Study sample mostly spanned 19- 30 years of age group. A maximum number of responses were from 1st year students. Students from all years have participated. From the student’s response there is a lot to improve in terms of teaching methods and also the infrastructure of the institution.

Conclusion: Quality does not meet to the expectation of a greater percentage of students in all aspects. It includes lack of infrastructure, teacher’s attitude, campus environment, etc. but there are exceptions also. We have a number of very good teachers in our college and the number of OP and IP patients also remains good.

Keywords:  quality of teaching, Homoeopathic medical college, Calicut

Introduction
Educational system is changing very rapidly from a normal lecturing system to a well-systematic learning system. The aim is to improve the efficiency of the students and increase the outcome.

Previously, our system of education was nearly lecturing and depended, mostly on theoretical knowledge. It has many drawbacks. In higher education system, these theory based education system fails in producing good outcome. So now we see our education system also including the health system there is a rapid shift from a theory oriented to practical oriented system.

So we have to continually assess the quality and method of teaching in our college to ensure the necessary advancements are happening in our system too. And we also bound to bring about changes needed for improving the efficiency of students.

The Homoeopathic system in India is growing faster. More people are coming to know about homoeopathy and they are taking treatment. They are knowing homoeopathy through the doctors. So, the efficiency of our doctors directly reflects in the growth of Homoeopathy. So making doctors efficient is necessary. It happens mainly by improving quality of education in our colleges.

National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH) came into force in 2021. The NCH has put forward a new curriculum in homoeopathy named Competency Based Dynamic Curriculum (CBDC). It is very systematic and practical oriented curriculum. But for delivering such high efficient curriculum we also need high quality teaching and facilities.

While bringing such big changes in syllabus, we have to ensure that our teaching system and infrastructure also growing along with that .Otherwise the revised curriculum stay as a big burden on both teachers and students. Since this survey also included CBDC Batch students, we can assess whether our teaching quality and facility reached up to the mark.

Many factors play a role in a good quality education. Not only method of teaching and facility matter but also the attitude of teachers towards students and their co-curricular activities also matters. Because BHMS remains as a course of 5.5 year duration.  For relieving stresses in this long and steady period, other activities should also be provided. Also, these programs improve student’s interactive and communicative skill, which is seldom given importance anywhere else.  So in this survey, these matters are also given equal importance.

This survey helps us to know the barriers of quality teaching. We get a genuine response from students of Government Homeopathic Medical College Calicut, as we know Government Homeopathic Medical College Calicut is one of the most famous and efficient Homoeopathic Medical College in India. It has gifted most renowned homoeopaths to our country. So to keep this hereditary, we have to correct wherever necessary without any excuses in the matter of quality improvement.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

Aim
A survey assessing quality of teaching in Government Homoeopathic medical college Calicut, Kerala, India

Objectives
To study the quality of teaching and student satisfaction in teaching in Government Homoeopathic Medical college, Calicut. Thus providing enough statistical data for improving the quality of teaching and efficiency of undergraduate and post graduate students.

METHODS
Setting and design: An institutional survey was carried out during February – December, 2023- 24 between undergraduate, postgraduate students and of Government Homoeopathic Medical College Calicut.

Participants: Out of total ~ 390  students enrolled in the (41/2+1) years Bachelor in Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) courses  and 3 years post graduate courses running in Government Homoeopathic Medical college, Calicut, under approval of AYUSH, Government of Kerala and under affiliation to Central Council of Homoeopathy, Government of India, 126 participated and answered the questionnaire. For analytical purposes, Students were divided into four academic years of BHMS course and one PG category.

Questionnaire and data analysis plan: We developed a questionnaire for assessing the quality of teaching in our college after a thorough review of factors affecting quality of teaching in colleges. The questionnaire consists of 17 questions including preliminary data. The questionnaire was prepared in the Google Survey Heart Form. It was sent to students through whatsapp media. Directions to fill the forms were also given both verbally and through whatsapp messages.

The questionnaire consists of three types of questions. Initially, it starts with preliminary data including name, age, sex and batch. These questions were marked mandatory. It was followed by both closed ended questions and descriptive type questions with short and long answers.

To evaluate the feasibility of the application of the questionnaire in a large population, pilot testing was done on 10 students of GHMC Calicut before conducting the study. It took only five minutes time to complete and all the data were collected from them. Instructions on the questionnaire promised anonymity. No participant-identifiable information was required to ensure protection of privacy. Since the questionnaire form was provided in the google survey heart the filled forms cannot be seen by any other than the surveyor. The data then extracted and shifted to a specially designed excel sheet without name. It was then statistically analysed.

Statistical analysis plan: Descriptive statistics has been represented in the form of absolute values and percentages.

RESULTS

 Some important suggestions from students

1. A great percentage of students responded that lectures are not audible and they suggested every teachers should be given a mic.
2. A number of students suggested that teachers must be more friendly to the students. They should create a good relationship with each student, and that type of teaching is the need of the hour.
3. Many students suggested that the teachers must improve the way of teaching. Students need more interactive and good quality classes rather than a one side lecturing.
4. Lectures should be in such a way that at the end of the session, students must gain knowledge to apply the theoretical part in the cases. Teachers can include their experiences and other examples for this.
5. Teachers should encourage the students to do research programmes.
6. Students expect a far better campus life and authorities should do needed actions to provide it as early as possible.
7. The infrastructure of the College remains below average, so it should be improved.
8. There should be a strict timetable for every teacher in a department. Students should be acknowledged about that
9. Students pointed out many teachers whose names are listed above for good quality teaching and enhancing students’ interest in practicing and higher education as a model for other teachers.
10. In some departments, the main teachers are not taking classes and they send PGs for the same. This should be controlled.

DISCUSSION
The survey for assessing the quality of teaching in government, homoeopathic medical College Calicut got a good response. More than 33 percent of the students of the college participated in the survey. They have given their valuable answers for majority of questions. 99 percent of students have given a full response. It indicates that students have great concern about the quality of teaching in our college and they wish to share it with the authorities.

A Medical College has important functions in our society. In a country like India with its highest population, people need big aid from health sector. The biggest aim of medical colleges is to produce high-quality doctors to serve our society and for doing so each medical college should provide high-quality education to the students. Any compromise in quality in these institutions has a far-reaching negative impact on the health sector of our country. For giving best treatment for the people in the ever-growing era of technologies, the institutions, their infrastructure and method of teaching should also adapt these technological changes.

Students come to the colleges with different thoughts and dreams. So it is the responsibility of a teacher or mentor to give the students clear vision about their profession and what they are expected to do in the society. They should be given clear idea about the homoeopathic system, its scope in the present era and the limitations. The institution should support and encourage the young doctors for practicing. They should know how to use new technologies and social media in the present day practicing. The lack of above mentioned things are evident from big fallout of young doctors from the stream. Many of them are not practicing, many are changing their career into another stream.

But some of the teachers are great role model for other teachers, young doctors and students in the above aspects. For the questions “who boosted your interest in the -homoeopathic system, higher education, setting up career, practicing -most” the majority students answered one or two specific names only. Their ways of taking classes and approaching students are very good. Their great clinical experiences and big patient base influenced students. They always encourage students to practice and advice for higher education. They professionally present the vast scope of homoeopathy in different areas. Rather than just advising, they showed all of us with their own life that how a good doctor and a good teacher should be.

In the question regarding the campus environment of government homoeopathic medical College Calicut, many students replied that it should be improved. A good campus, needs good infrastructure and better staffs. 82 percent of students need urgent improvement in the classroom facilities of  our college. We should also have a good play area, a good garden and a canteen. For building up a good campus environment, there should be a good coordination between students, teachers, non-teaching staffs and parents. The authority should seek feedbacks from these groups at regular intervals. These feedbacks should be discussed and needed actions should be taken as early as possible.

Teachers should encourage students for extracurricular activities also. It is a good area for creating relationships with the students. The question seeking attitude of teachers towards extracurricular activities mark low (neutral +dislike + worst=67%). Institutions must give attendance for students who are participating in extracurricular activities. Many students complains that some teachers are very rude in providing attendance for extracurricular activities and this block many of them from participating.

The rating of institutions in supporting students for research programmes is very low. 34 percentage of student says that the support is zero percentage. It is an alarming indicator. Only 18 percent of student says it is above average. Students should be taught about research programmes and methodology. Institution should support every students for research programmes.

In this era of huge criticism, our system need more researches. So institution should consider this problem as a matter of importance and take necessary steps to enhance students’ interest in the research programs and for supporting them.

For a long period of time, our institution was running shortage of teachers. It has affected the quality of teaching in our college. This very low number of teachers sometime make it hard for them to manage all the students. It is obvious that lack of teachers definitely affect the quality of teaching. Now many of the vacant seats have filled. The remaining vacancy also has to be filled as early as possible.

The quality problems in homoeopathic medical colleges are addressed by National Commission for Homoeopathy. NCH has introduced NTET exam at regular interval for assessing the ability of teachers. NCH also introduced many standardization procedures in the teaching method of homoeopathic colleges. Processes are going on for implementing the standardization systematically in our institution too.

Improvement of quality is only possible after thoroughly understanding the factors affecting quality of teaching. This assessment can be made in many ways, including surveys feedbacks Grading etc. The best and simple way is to collect feedbacks from the students. The important matters should be discussed with the students and the needful should be done as early as possible. Improvement of the quality of teaching in medical colleges directly, increase the efficiency of young doctors. It helps in enhancing the patient reliability on homoeopathic system. When the number of efficient doctors in our society increases, it definitely impacts our economy positively. This will finally improve the quality of living in our country.

CONCLUSION
From the survey for assessing the quality of education in government homeopathic medical College Calicut, we can understand that the quality does not meet to the expectation of a greater percentage of students in all aspects. It include lack of infrastructure, teacher’s attitude, campus environment, etc. but there are exceptions also. We have a number of very good teachers in our college and the number of OP and IP patients also remains good. For improving quality of teaching, there should be a regular assessment of the lectures taken by teachers from the part of institution. There should be surveys on regular basis between students and the young doctors who graduated from the institution about the status of their career. Through surveys we can understand that what are the main obstacles in front of the young doctors which prevent them from practicing and continuing in the stream.

SUGGESTIONS
Through the survey assessing the quality of teaching in government homoeopathic medical college Calicut, we put forward some important points those should be enacted as early as possible.

Above all, the institution should give prime importance for its quality improvement. For that feedback should be collected from students at regular intervals. There should be separate councils for evaluating these feedbacks and analysing. The most needed action should be employed immediately. There should be training programs for teachers and non-teaching staff on a regular basis. Assessment and evaluation of infrastructure and facilities should be done yearly. Immediate measures should be taken for improving it. There should be workshops and training programmes for students to assess the practical abilities in case management. Institution should give good support for extracurricular activities and attendance should be provided for students who participating in these programs.

Immediate action should be made by authorities for filling the vacancies of teaching and non-teaching staffs.  There should be session for sharing the clinical experiences. There should be more studies conducted on young doctors to assess their professional status. Obstacles in establishing private practice and higher education should be addressed. There should be better plans and methods for utilizing the large number of OP and IP patients.

QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Name
2. Age
3. Sex
4. Year of study
5. Are you satisfied in the method of teaching in GHMCK?
6. How far so you think the teaching method followed by teachers in GHMCK enhance the practical knowledge of students?
7. How far the teachers in GHMCK you think boosted your interest in homoeopathic system?
8. How far the teachers in GHMCK you think boosted your interest in higher education and setting up your career?
9. What you think about the quality of class room facility of GHMCK?
10. How far the institution support and promote the students for research programmes?
11. How do you rate the campus environment of GHMCK?
12. How do you rate the OP and IP facility of GHMCK?
13. How do you rate the attitude of teachers towards extracurricular activities?
14. What do you think about the personnel attachment of teachers towards students?
15. Do you recommend this institution for further studies?
16. Please provide your valuable suggestions

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Dr Shahid  U
Intern Doctor, Govt Homoeopathic Medical College Calicut
Under the guidance of Dr. Mansoor Ali K R, Prof HOD HR&C
Email Id :u.shahid.narukara@gmail.com
Phone: +91 9633920267

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