Effects of tutoring in teaching basic subjects to veterinary students

Abstract

Students of veterinary medicine usually study in large groups. This factor favours anonymity and hiding behind classmates. The majority of classes are practical, but a lot of material should be self-studied, remembered and understood. Basic subjects, such as chemistry and biochemistry, are taught in the 1st and 2nd years, when students have not yet learnt how to study and how to meet the requirements, which are different from those in the secondary school. This may easily lead to failure in the exams and problems with the organisation of studying. Moreover, it is not easy to change the students’ preconception that chemistry is difficult and impossible to learn, and to convince them that these subjects are indispensable for veterinarians. The aim of the project was to raise the motivation of weak students and to increase their progress in studying. Twenty-six students who had shown no progress were selected. Classes were conducted in small 3- to 5-student groups. Various tools that were used in the project came from the previous courses of team members and from the Masters of Didactics training programme, e.g. flipped classroom and discussion in the group. All students involved in the project changed their methods of studying and successfully passed exams. Tutoring proved successful in teaching veterinary medicine because this kind of studies involves teaching students how to talk, conduct clinical reasoning and integrate knowledge from different disciplines. In conclusion, tutoring can be used as a supplementary method of teaching basic subjects to veterinary students.