Students’ Perceptions of Learning Environment in a Medical College in Mangalore, India: A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND: The educational environment significantly influences medical students' academic success and well-being. Assessing perceptions of this environment is crucial for improving educational quality. This study was designed to evaluate students' perceptions of their learning environment in a medical college in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mixed-methods study was conducted among medical students in 2023. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire, which assesses domains including Students' Perception of Learning (SPL), Students' Perception of Teachers (SPT), Students' Academic Self-Perception (SASP), Students' Perception of Atmosphere (SPA), and Students' Social Self-Perception (SSSP), along with focus group discussions, was used. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26 (IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States), employing t-tests, ANOVA, and thematic analysis (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The DREEM score was 122.53/200 (61.26%), indicating a positive environment. The SPT domain had the highest scores, with significant differences observed across academic years (p = 0.006), and SSSP was the lowest (55.50%, p=0.006). Batch differences were significant for SPL, SPT, SPA, and SSSP (p