Factors influencing the late submission of assignments in a medical university environment: a qualitative case study

The late submission of assignments by medical students is a chronic problem. Students' characteristics and past academic performances are useful indicators for predicting delays during medical school. However, medical students' perspectives on factors that lead to delays in assignment submission remain unexplored. To address this issue, this study examines the factors that influence the late submission of assignments in a medical university setting from the perspective of medical students. This exploratory qualitative case study recruited 20 undergraduate medical students who had submitted their assignments late at a private Japanese medical university. Data were collected through face-to-face, semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis from a constructivist paradigm. A qualitative analysis revealed the following three themes regarding the factors influencing the late submission of assignments: (1) factors related to the medical university curriculum, including its structure, course offerings, and academic requirements, (2) factors related to the instructions from and authority of faculty, and (3) situational factors that exacerbate delays in student assignment submissions. Medical students felt that the nature of the assignments, which were assigned with no apparent regard for student schedules and offered a limited evaluative metric, was often irrational. The students implicitly accepted this situation while being aware of the infeasible submission deadlines. Medical students may have an internal sense of the perceived irrationality of faculty-imposed assignments and the authority behind them, and may strategically neglect some in favor of efficient course completion. Faculty members should ensure their assignments are consistent with course contents.