PERCEPTIONS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN MEDICAL EDUCATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN NIGERIA.

Background: Student engagement in medical education encompasses the various ways students participate in institutional management, educational processes, research activities, and community-oriented initiatives. Alignment between student and faculty perceptions is essential for the successful design and implementation of engagement strategies. This study uses the AMEE ASPIRE framework to measure the perceptions of students and faculty across key domains. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed 555 medical students from the University of Ibadan and University of Ilorin and 65 faculty members from the University of Ibadan. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Frequencies and percentages were generated for all AMEE ASPIRE perception items. Chi-square tests were used to examine differences between perception levels and respondent category (students versus faculty), with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results: While both students and faculty generally reported positive perceptions of student engagement, there were notable differences in perception about institutional governance. Students reported significantly stronger perception for involvement in vision and mission development (89.7% vs 66.2%; p<0.001), committee representation (95.7% vs 87.7%; p=0.006), policy development (92.1% vs 64.6%; p<0.001), and leadership roles in curriculum development (86.1% vs 56.9%; p<0.001). Conversely, both groups showed high support for student participation in the school's education programmes, academic environment and in service delivery. Conclusion: Significant perception gaps were identified in institutional governance engagement. Addressing these disparities will require formalising faculty-student partnerships and enhancing existing platforms for meaningful collaboration.