Opening Pandora’s Box: What is the Content of the Instruments Measuring the Learning Environment in Medicine?

Abstract

Introduction/aim: The measurement of the learning environment in medicine is fundamental to assess the quality of medical education. Multiple instruments are available for this purpose, but their content, theoretical foundations and practical implications variate. Our aim is to synthesize the content validity and scope of these instruments. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of original studies designed to measure the learning environment in medicine, published in English and Spanish languages, from 1990 to 2018. We search for studies in Pubmed, ERIC, British Nursing Index, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Cochrane, CINALH and Latindex. We analyzed the main domains, theoretical foundations and methods to determine the content validity of each instrument. Results: Thirty-eight studies evaluating twelve instruments (one available in Spanish) were included. Two instruments were specific for the surgical environment and one for the community. Only three instruments were supported by an educational theory. The domains most frequently evaluated were the atmosphere, social perception and academic perception of learning. The content validity was established through expert panels or Delphi method in 83,3 % of the instruments. Conclusions: There are several instruments to evaluate a complex construct such as the learning environment in medicine. In general, these instruments have content validity supported by multiple sources and methodologies and they can be used by medical educators to assess the learning environment comprehensively.