Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: LUCAS ALEXANDRE ARAÚJO LINS

Impact of the covid-19 pandemic on teaching human anatomy to Pharmacy students at UFRN.

Macroscopic morphology, e-learning, mental health, motivation, coping, health sciences.

Since March 2020, with the official declaration of the Covid-19 pandemic by the WHO, both theoretical and practical classes, such as those in human anatomy, were transitioned to remote formats. This deprived students of personal interaction, immediate feedback from instructors, and the rich exchange of ideas provided by in-person classes. To mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and this abrupt technological transition, it became essential to adopt various methodologies, including synchronous classes, video lectures, forums, and continuous student monitoring by discipline monitors. The latter involved activities aimed at stimulating students and facilitating their understanding of human anatomy. In this context, this research aimed to evaluate the learning process of students enrolled in the MOR-0048 Human Anatomy course for the Pharmacy program at DMOR/UFRN during the academic periods of 2021.1, 2021.2, and 2022.1 in both morning and evening sessions, considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the different factors involved in this process. To assess teaching and learning, as well as factors influencing them, students were evaluated through specific questionnaires covering sociodemographic, personal, and clinical aspects; DASS-21 to assess stress, depression, and anxiety levels; IMMS for motivation evaluation in relation to course activities; DREEM for students' perception of the educational environment; Coping to analyze coping strategies used by classes facing difficulties and stressors, along with academic performance assessment through grade indices and subsequent approval or failure. Additionally, a questionnaire about monitoring activities was administered.        Statistical analysis, through non-parametric tests and subsequent multiple comparisons, revealed significant results for observing these factors and their association with the teaching models applied in different classes. Results showed significant differences in students' mental health, with higher scores for depression, stress, and anxiety in the in-person teaching group, followed by remote teaching, and lastly, hybrid teaching. Furthermore, significant differences were confirmed in score comparisons between groups, highlighting the disparity between in-person and hybrid teaching. Regarding the perception of the learning environment, results indicated a more positive perception in the remote and hybrid teaching groups, while the in-person teaching group scored significantly lower. Motivation results suggested a likely higher motivation in remote and hybrid teaching, with the in-person teaching group showing overall lower motivation. Concerning coping strategies, the in-person teaching group clearly scored higher in the recurrent use of coping behaviors in stressful situations, with significant differences compared to the hybrid teaching group. However, the remote teaching group did not show statistically significant differences compared to the other teaching modalities.In conjunction with the analysis of these aspects that may influence the educational process, we also used the results obtained from academic performance and students' assessment of monitoring and related activities to support the observations of other aspects. Overall, this study highlights the influence of different teaching modalities on students' mental health, motivation, and coping strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need to consider these factors in planning and implementing future teaching models.