Faculty and Student Perceptions of Effective Techniques in Teaching Physiology

Ben Jeter

Abstract

Students enrolling in Human Anatomy & Physiology (A&P) often acknowledge it as being one of the more challenging courses of their college career. Human A&P is a two-semester prerequisite for multiple healthcare-related disciplines. Jackson State Community College (JSCC) is home to multiple healthcare programs including a nursing program and allied health programs that include physical therapy assistants, occupational therapy assistants, radiologic technology, respiratory care, and medical lab technicians. Each of these programs require students to complete at least one of the A&P courses before being granted admission to the program. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine faculty and student perceptions on effective techniques in teaching physiology to undergraduate students preparing for a healthcare-related profession.

To complete the study, faculty and students were each surveyed with a cross-sectional survey design to determine the perception of students and faculty. Lecturing is the primary form of instruction at JSCC, and based on data collected from the surveys, students and faculty feel lecturing to still be effective for teaching physiology. The researcher concluded the study by making data-driven recommendations for both students and faculty to better improve learning of physiological concepts for future A&P students at JSCC.