Medical Students’ Perceptions of the Learning Environment in South Asia: A Systematic Review of Quantitative Studies

Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai,1 Khalid Ahmad Stanikzai,2 Samiullah Shanawa,1 Hadia Sayam2 1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, Kandahar, Afghanistan; 2Department of Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, Malalay University, Kandahar, AfghanistanCorrespondence: Muhammad Haroon Stanikzai, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Kandahar University, District # 10, Kandahar, 3801, Afghanistan, Tel +93704775578, Email [email protected]: Measuring students’ perceptions of the learning environment has become widespread in medical education, with many benefits for both students and institutions. Despite its documented findings in small studies, there is a lack of systematic evidence on medical students’ perceptions of the learning environment in South Asian countries.Objective: This systematic review aimed to determine the perceptions of medical students of the learning environment in South Asia and to identify the factors that influence these perceptions.Methods: We limited this systematic review to studies published between 2000 and 2024 which reported on medical students perceptions of the learning environment in eight South Asian countries. Perceptions of the learning environment were assessed through self-rating scales in the included studies. Articles were retrieved from two electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus). In addition, we searched Google Scholar to identify relevant articles. This review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.Results: Of 1191 identified articles, 15 studies fulfilled the pre-specified eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was the main instrument used in these studies. Of the 15 studies included, 13 studies reported a positive perception of the learning environment in South Asia. However, positive perception levels varied widely, reflecting disparities in learning environments across countries. Additionally, the influence of several factors (eg gender, education levels, and place of residence) on the perceptions of the learning environment was highlighted.Conclusion: Results from this review suggest that medical students perceived the learning environment positively in most studies documented from the region. However, medical schools’ learning environments in this region have a lot of room for growth and development to meet the standards set on a global scale. Moreover, the current state of the literature underscores the need for further research on the topic and on the best strategies to optimize the learning environment for medical education in South Asia.Keywords: learning environment, educational environment, perceptions, medical education, South Asia