Investigating the relationship between the quality of the learning environment and the progress of students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences based on the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) model

The learning environment is important in providing successful education for students. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the quality of the learning environment and medical and dental students' satisfaction.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 386 medical and dental students of Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Kerman- Iran in 2021. The validated Dundee University (DREEM) questionnaire was filled out by the students of the Medicine and Dentistry faculties of the Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences. The data analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, Chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, and Tukey's test, and SPSS 17 software.

The mean score of the five areas of the learning environment was 113.8 for medical and 110 for dentistry students, and the average score of the total learning environment for the entire population was 113.5. Female students had higher average scores in the learning environment than males (P< 0.05). In addition, the highest score was related to the area of ​​understanding of academic ability (64.11%) and understanding of learning (57.2%), and the lowest average score was related to the area of ​​understanding of social status (56.38%). In contrast to the faculty of dentistry, students in the faculty of medicine had a positive and acceptable learning environment.

The present study demonstrated that the students were satisfied with all aspects of the learning environment of their university, but the attention of the professors and managers should be more focused on the students of dentistry to create a suitable learning environment.