The perspectives of undergraduate medical students in mainland China towards adaptive learning within exam-oriented medical education: a phenomenological analysis

Abstract Backgrounds: Rapid development in technology led to the growing prevalence of adaptive learning in mainland China. The role of adaptive learning in university settings became more pronounced as a result of the pandemic. Aims: Undergraduate medical education in Chinese universities is characterized by exam-oriented approaches. Perspectives towards adaptive learning within this setting remain underexplored. The insights would better inform the direction of contemporary reforms in Chinese medical education. Sample: 7 fourth-year undergraduate students from a mix of rural and urban backgrounds participated. Methods: An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was conducted in the mainland Chinese University of Guangzhou. After gaining ethics approval, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with each student, and the interview transcripts were analyzed. Through structural analysis, an analytic account that synthesizes their lived experiences into group experiential themes was produced and integrated into discussion. Results: Most participants responded positively to the role of adaptive learning in their education, although some expressed concerns over its misuse and effects on learning habits. Participants viewed adaptive learning as an effective modern aid to improved learning outcomes. Conclusions: Adaptive learning is the favored learning approach by undergraduate medical students to address pressures within exam-oriented settings. Multiple factors play into the effectiveness of adaptive learning. Whereas industrious learners combine adaptive learning with conventional learning practices, the presence of adaptive learning technology leads to metacognitive laziness and academic procrastination for less intrinsically motivated students.