Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27764123›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2016

The Importance of Medical Students' Attitudes Regarding Cognitive Competence for Teaching Applied Statistics: Multi-Site Study and Meta-Analysis.

Natasa M Milic, Srdjan Masic, Jelena Milin-Lazovic, Goran Trajkovic, Zoran Bukumiric, Marko Savic, Nikola V Milic, Andja Cirkovic, Milan Gajic, Mirjana Kostic and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
3.7field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 36 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Natasa M MilicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Srdjan MasicDepartment of Primary Health Care and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of East Sarajevo, Foca, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Jelena Milin-LazovicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Goran TrajkovicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Zoran BukumiricInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Marko SavicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Nikola V MilicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Andja CirkovicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Milan GajicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Mirjana KosticDepartment of Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia.
Aleksandra IlicDepartment of Public Health, Medical Faculty, University of Pristina, Kosovska Mitrovica, Serbia.
Dejana StanisavljevicInstitute for Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
University of Belgrade · RSMayo Clinic · USUniversity of East Sarajevo · BA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe scientific community increasingly is recognizing the need to bolster standards of data analysis given the widespread concern that basic mistakes in data analysis are contributing to the irreproducibility of many published research findings. The aim of this study was to investigate students' attitudes towards statistics within a multi-site medical educational context, monitor their changes and impact on student achievement. In addition, we performed a systematic review to better support our future pedagogical decisions in teaching applied statistics to medical students.

methodsA validated Serbian Survey of Attitudes Towards Statistics (SATS-36) questionnaire was administered to medical students attending obligatory introductory courses in biostatistics from three medical universities in the Western Balkans. A systematic review of peer-reviewed publications was performed through searches of Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Medline, and APA databases through 1994. A meta-analysis was performed for the correlation coefficients between SATS component scores and statistics achievement. Pooled estimates were calculated using random effects models.

resultsSATS-36 was completed by 461 medical students. Most of the students held positive attitudes towards statistics. Ability in mathematics and grade point average were associated in a multivariate regression model with the Cognitive Competence score, after adjusting for age, gender and computer ability. The results of 90 paired data showed that Affect, Cognitive Competence, and Effort scores demonstrated significant positive changes. The Cognitive Competence score showed the largest increase (M = 0.48, SD = 0.95). The positive correlation found between the Cognitive Competence score and students' achievement (r = 0.41; p<0.001), was also shown in the meta-analysis (r = 0.37; 95% CI 0.32-0.41).

conclusionStudents' subjective attitudes regarding Cognitive Competence at the beginning of the biostatistics course, which were directly linked to mathematical knowledge, affected their attitudes at the end of the course that, in turn, influenced students' performance. This indicates the importance of positively changing not only students' cognitive competency, but also their perceptions of gained competency during the biostatistics course.

Indexed as

AchievementAge FactorsAttitude of Health PersonnelBiostatisticsDatabases, FactualHumansMathematicsSex FactorsStudents, MedicalUniversities

Identifiers

PMID27764123
PMCPMC5072734
OpenAlexW2537147282

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.