Abstract
The course Medical Physiology and Biochemistry (PHSL 2004A) constitutes a mandatory component of the second-year curriculum for students enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh) and Bachelor of Health Science (BHSc) programmes within the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. Throughout the pre-COVID-19 pandemic period spanning from 2013 to 2020, the pass rates of students in the PHSL 2004A course have consistently evoked no apprehension or noteworthy concern within the purview of the School of Physiology. However, a marked drop was observed in students’ pass rates in the 2020 cohort that sat the course’s assessments in 2021. Our study determined if students’ programme affiliation, residence status (on-campus or off-campus), admission category, and race affected PHSL 2004A pass rates in 2021. Data from 380 students (218 MBBCh; 162 BHSc) in the 2020 cohort was analysed. An independent sample t-test showed that MBBCh programme students (M = 60.76, SD = 17.21) had higher mean score of 12.70, 95% CI [9.404, 15.990] than BHSc counterparts (M = 47.98, SD = 14.34), 95% CI [9.490, 15.902], t (374), = 7.58, p = < .001, two-tailed, d = .79; demonstrating greater performance. Chi-square test of association showed that students’ residential status did not impact students’ pass rate (χ2 = 2.111, df = 1, N = 376, p < 0.146) albeit 72% of off-campus compared to 65% on-campus students passed the course. Admission category significantly impacted performance: MBBCh and BHSc students admitted in the top 40 category had high mean scores compared to counterparts in admitted in the top rural category and top BC category, respectively. The performance of students in PHSL 2004A was influenced by factors such as programmes affiliation and admission category, whereas residential status did not exhibit a significant impact on academic achievement in the course. However, it is deduced that beyond the influence of admission category and programme affiliation, the transition from conventional face-to-face pedagogical methods to virtual online modalities due to the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic may have adversely affected student performance. This negative impact is likely attributable to insufficient readiness and preparation among both learners and educators for the novel instructional approach.