Student's perception: A core indicator in building academia in today's world

Introduction: The perception of students considering their educational environment is a useful source to modify or to improve the quality of education. Whereas the education is a dynamic process, researches about this topic are important to improve education methods and strategies. Equally essential is to know opinion of the students about teachers and educational environment. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess students' perceptions of educational environment using Dundee ready education environment measure (DREEM) among four different health science courses. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was conducted on 398 students enrolled in undergraduate health science programs offered at a multispecialty university in Haryana, whose courses consisted of traditional classes and clinical fieldwork. This comprised of students from bachelor degrees in Dental Sciences, Physiotherapy, Nursing, and Allied health sciences. The survey was conducted using a standardized self-report questionnaire DREEM, which is 50-item, close-ended, and scored on 5-point Likert scale. Results: The mean total DREEM score was 77.2 ± 13.07, which according to the interpretation guide was seen to be more positive than negative. More positive results were seen among students of dental sciences (76.7 ± 12.8) and physiotheray (78.06 ± 13.1). Statistical significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) was seen among all the courses in each subscale. Students' perception of teachers and students' self-perception showed statistically nonsignificant results when compared between gender. Conclusion: Students rated their learning environment as positive. This suggests a student-centered approach from the university and may lead to positive outcomes for the students.