Very few students learn in the class when we teach using conventional lecture methods, using chalk and blackboard or laptop-projector. The majority of students do not understand in the classroom, which may be due to difficult course materials, terminologies and fear of new exposure to medical science. Very few students are smart enough to interact and score good marks than those who remain silent in the class. In the routine Conventional Didactic Lecture (CDL), the facilitators/teachers are the primary source of information. To impart interest among students, the facilitator should use different types of teaching-learning methods with available

Technologies according to changing trends in the medical field. CDL is a one-way approach with less interaction with the students but team-based learning (TBL) is one active learning process that shoots up the individuals’ strengths by helping them to co-ordinate and indulge them in teamwork to achieve a common learning objective. Apart from that, it has also been seen that in a 1-hour class, students pay attention for the first 10-15 minutes, then they become spectators or passive listeners and the attention again increases in the last 10 minutes1.

Among various teaching-learning methods, TBL is one of the most effective teaching-learning methods. Students are provided with an interactive and innovative environment for learning and self-directed learning is initiated. The present generation of students prefers a more interactive, group activity and lively atmosphere of teaching and learning than the conventional lectures that are followed in India. We, in the responsible position, playing the role of a facilitator/teacher have to change the way of teaching and assessment methods. Moreover, the change should be according to the development in the technologies concerned with the use of audio-visual aids in the medical field which will be more effective in small-group teaching when compared to large-group teaching.

The aim of the study was to analyze whether TBL is enhancing the academic performance or not. The main objectives were to study effectiveness of TBL over CDL and to assess the students’ perception toward TBL.

The study is an Experimental Crossover Study conducted in the Department Of Physiology, SLN MCH, Koraput after receiving Institutional Ethical Committee Approval No. 01 IEC, SLN MCH, Koraput, dated 26/09/2024. The Target population is the Phase 1 Students (2024-25 batch). The study period is 2 months (November 2024 to December 2024)

Inclusion Criteria: All Students of Phase 1

Exclusion Criteria: Any student remaining absent for more than 2 classes.

Sample size: 124 (Total strength- 125, 1 student remained absent for a long time due to a health issue).

The students were explained the entire procedure of how the classes will be taken. They were divided into two groups randomly, 62 students in Group A and 62 students in Group B. Competencies from blood physiology were selected to be taught for 2 months. The same teacher taught the topics in both groups to eliminate teacher bias. Two extra Self  Directed Learning classes were kept each week for study purposes that did not affect the normal class. The duration was for 1 hour.

In the Conventional Method, the teacher taught 1 group normally by Lecture method. 

In Team Based Method, the students were divided into 4 small groups with 16 students in each group. The teacher gave the same topic and a brief description touching on important points. The tools in this study included: - i) video clip, ii) questioning, iii) case scenarios, iv) think-pair-share technique and v) brainstorming in our settings2. Any doubt was cleared by the teacher.

For the first half (November) of the study, in Group A the teaching method was Team Based and in Group B it was conventional teaching. It was followed by assessment in both groups as MCQs, give reason why type and short answer type (Full marks-10). The same questions were asked in both groups. Comparison was done between Marks of Group A & B for the first half.

In the second half (December), Group A was taught by the Conventional method and Group B by Team based method of teaching. Again, the assessment was done in both groups. The comparison was done between Marks of Group A & B for the second half. Also, marks of both groups were compared for both the methods to see which method was good for that group i.e. Group A’s mark in Team Based Learning and Conventional Method learning will be compared, so also for Group B.

The perception of students toward TBL was also assessed by a questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale.

Statistical analysis was done by unpaired t-Test & Paired t-Test using SPSS-13 software (IBM Corp. Armonk, New York, USA). The marks of both the groups were calculated after the end of each assessment and compared.

The study was conducted over a period of two months in the department of Physiology, SLN Medical College, Koraput. About 124 0ut of 125 students participated in the study. We divided the 2 groups into 62 students each randomly. The results thus obtained were analyzed and comparison was done between the two teaching-learning methods for the taught topics. The mean rank and p-value of students’ perception for both

Team Based Learning and Conventional method are shown in table.

Table I: Comparison between the 2 groups at end of each month (by unpaired t-Test)

Table II comparing the marks between the students of each group for both methods (by Paired t-Test)

Table III the perception of students toward Team Based Learning was also assessed by a questionnaire ⁵

Using a 5-point Likert scale (5- Excellent, 4- Good, 3- Average, 2- Below Average,    1- Poor), n= 124.

In the present study, students who underwent TBL performed well compared to the students who were taught by the CDL. There was a significant difference between the two groups following statistical analysis. Implementing TBL is not an easy task with the existing faculty strength, since it requires more time and manpower to utilize its complete benefit. But still, the course of the study has to be continued further compared with different types of teaching-learning methods for a longer duration to assess the long-term outcome. TBL was introduced in the medical field to improve teaching and to provide an active learning experience for the students, besides the concept of self-directed learning and teamwork. Qualitative analysis of students was done by open-ended questions, and results were in favor of TBL compared to the lecture. The students of Group B performed better in the TBL method than the conventional method, though it is not statistically significant. Similar results were observed by some authors like Punja D et al3, Inuwa IM4, etc that academic performance improved a lot in those students who had undergone TBL and students preferred small-group teaching rather than the conventional method. In team teaching, both the learner and the facilitator are mutually benefitted. It helps the student to discuss and acquire knowledge about common and complex case scenarios which improves their performance.

Conventional Didactic Method has been followed in many institutions where learning occurs in a passive manner. In the present study, first phase MBBS students inclined more toward Team-Based Learning than the Conventional method, which was evident from their assessment scores and their perception. New methods of teaching should be facilitated among the students’ community which will increase their attentiveness and better retention capacity during the class hours.

Author’s contribution-

Dr. Sanjeev Satpathy- Dividing the students, Taking classes, Assessment, Writing manuscript.

 Dr. Aiswrya Kar- Assessment, Mark compilation, Statistical analysis, writing manuscript.

Conflicts of interest- None

Source of funding- Self

Acknowledgement- I want to acknowledge Dr Anuva Mishra, Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry, and the Medical Education Unit Coordinator, Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, for her guidance and support.

1. Juron Wang. Research on the Emergency Education Model of Liberal Arts in Universities and its Quality Assurance. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, Vol 493, Pg 462-467.
2. Ashraf S, Khan SA, Ahmad M, Rind SM, Fatima A, Safdar S. Comparison of didactic lecture with interactive lecture for learning enhancement in third year BDS students at Nishtar Medical University, Multan. Professional Med J 2023; 30(01):129-135.https://doi.org/10.29309/TPMJ/2022.30.01.4697.
3. Punja D, Kalludi SN, Pai KM, Rao RK, Dhar M: Team-based learning as a teaching strategy for first-year medical students. Australas Med J. 2014, 7:490-9. 10.4066/AMJ.2014.2244.
4. Inuwa IM: Perceptions and attitudes of first-year medical students on a modified team-based learning (TBL) strategy in anatomy. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2012, 12:336-43. 10.12816/0003148.
5. Rajeswarie S, Praveen K, Sangam MR, G V, Bokan RR, Deka R, Kaur A. Comparison of Team-Based Learning Over Conventional Didactic Lecture Among Second-Year MBBS Students. Cureus. 2022 Jan 31;14(1):e21792. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21792. PMID: 35251859; PMCID: PMC8890453