Eighteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

This study investigates the potential benefits of project-based service-learning courses for medical students, focusing on impact on learning motivation and achievement. Additionally, the study also explores the ideal curriculum design for such courses. First-year medical students were enrolled in a mandatory one-credit service-learning course that provided professional service to the neighboring community. The students were divided into 12 groups, each assigned a different service-learning project such as public education on special diseases or raising health awareness. Following the completion of their projects, a questionnaire was distributed to the 135 students, and a total of 122 (90.3%) valid responses were collected. The results indicate that most students believe their projects were helpful (94.3%) and did not cause inconvenience to their service recipients (85.2%). Furthermore, a significant proportion of students (91.8%) agreed that various teaching techniques employed in the courses, such as discussions and project formulation, enhanced the effectiveness of their learning. However, fewer (74.6%) considered sharing experiences with teachers and past students beneficial. Interestingly, compared to those with a neutral or negative opinion, a considerably higher number of students agreed that the inclusion of incentives like prize money or funding for outcomes, as well as the involvement of professional teachers, significantly improved the effectiveness of their learning experiences (all p ≤0.01). Based on these findings, the study concluded that the results could inform educators and institutions seeking to enhance instructional effectiveness and learning motivation within project-based service-learning courses in medical schools.