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Abstract The learning environment, both the educational and organizational parts, was considered to be the curriculum’s most significant manifestation and conceptualization. It includes everything that is happening in the medical school. There is a proven connection between the environment and the outcomes of students’ achievement, satisfaction and success. For this purpose, the learning environment is one of the most important determinants of an effective curriculum. As learning Environment strongly influences student well-being and satisfaction, it is important to get feedback from our undergraduate students on how they experience their learning environment. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the learning environment among medical students at our school and recommending remedial measures for further enhancement of students’ learning experiences. The study was a descriptive, cross sectional study. The target population included the undergraduate students from year 1 to year 6 during the academic year (2009-2010). The sample size was 316 students (sample size was originally estimated 326; students’ response rate was 96.9%). The instruments used in this study include The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire which is a validated and reliable tool. The 50 items of the questionnaire encompasses five subscales: perceptions of learning, perceptions of teachers (course organizers), academic self-perceptions, perceptions of atmosphere and social self-perceptions. After evaluation of all DREEM questionnaires, the total score of all six years was 113.8 which was interpreted according to the practical guide of McAleer and Roff that students’ perceptions of their learning environment were more positive than negative. The score for all the five subscales of DREEM indicated a more positive perception except for subscale 5 (social self perception) mean score which was interpreted as the school is not a nice place. Students’ perceptions of each subscale were interpreted and revealed the following: the students’ perception of learning is viewed as ”a more positive perception”, their perception of course organizers is viewed as ”the school is moving in the right direction”; their academic self-perception is perceived as ”feeling more on the positive side”; their perception of atmosphere is ”a more positive attitude” and the students’ social-self perception is that ”the social environment is not a nice place”. |