Effectiveness of Remedial Teaching for Improving the Academic Performance of Poorly Performing Phase 1 Medical Students in Biochemistry Discipline at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala

BACKGROUND Remedial teaching is an educational programme for increasing the academic performance of poorly performing students in a curriculum. Remedial teaching is finding specific learning difficulties in low achieving learners who are lagging behind in academics and providing them with necessary support and guidance to bring their academic performance closer to the required standard and to prevent them from occurring in future. METHODS This quasi-experimental study was conducted among first year medical students at Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala from December 2019 to February 2020. All the sixty-four students who scored less than 50 % of marks in Biochemistry first internal examination were identified as poor performers. They were divided in to two groups, A and B, each consisting of thirty-two students by simple random method. The study skills of group A and group B students were assessed using study skills assessment questionnaire. They were also assessed on non-academic problems that affect their studies through open-ended interviews. Both the group students received academic support that included conceptual learning, logical thinking, reasoning skills and answering methods. In addition, group A students were given remedial teaching comprising study skills training, counselling sessions and motivation classes. At the end of eight weeks, a summative assessment was conducted for both the groups. A four-point Likert scale feedback questionnaire on remedial teaching was collected from group A students. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. RESULTS The mean mark of group A that received remedial teaching was significantly higher (P < 0.0001) than group B. The difference in mean marks between pre-test and post-test in group A was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Remedial teaching sessions are effective for improving the academic performance of poorly performing students in the subject of Biochemistry. KEYWORDS Remedial Teaching, Academic Support; Study Skills; Counselling; Motivation