Implementation of Team-Based Learning for a Clinical Module of the Ethiopian Undergraduate Anesthesia Curriculum and Students’ Perspectives: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning strategy that gives students the opportunity to apply conceptual information through a series of tasks that incorporate individual effort, team collaboration, and immediate feedback. This study aimed to report baseline TBL implementation in a clinical module of a fourth-year competency-based undergraduate anesthesia curriculum and explore the perspectives of students.
Methods: In April 2023, 18 students participated in two TBL sessions over two weeks, and readiness assurance test results and post-TBL evaluations were analyzed. Week one TBL implementation scores were compared with week two, establishing a longitudinal analysis over two points in time. Students also participated in an online survey to assess their views on the advantages and design of TBL, their perceptions of its best and worst features, and their suggestions for its implementation.
Results: Of 18 students, 16 (89%) responded to the survey. Most students believed that TBL was an effective educational strategy but expressed concern about the amount of time required for TBL preparation and the need for student readiness. The individual readiness assurance test scores did not differ significantly between weeks 1 and 2 (mean difference [MD] = 0.39, P= 0.519, 95% CI: − 0.824 to 1.60). However, the students’ median [IQR] team readiness assurance test scores increased significantly from week one to week two, from 8 [2] to 10 [1] (p = 0.004). Peer evaluation scores also showed a significant increase in week 2 (MD = 2.4, P = 0.001, 95% CI: − 3.760 to − 0.996).
Conclusion: TBL was successfully implemented for a clinical module at Dilla University—Ethiopia for the first time. Students perceived it positively, but some criticized its preparation time, workload, and minimal facilitator engagement. We suggest convenient and flexible scheduling personalized for each student’s needs when TBL is applied for clinical modules.

Keywords: team-based learning, competency-based education, clinical, anesthetics, pilot implementation, medical education research