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Investigación en educación médica
On-line version ISSN 2007-5057
Abstract
JAIMES MEDRANO, Aurora Leonila; FOSSION, Ruben; FLORES LAZARO, Julio and CARAVEO-ANDUAGA, Jorge Javier. Cognitive flexibility and academic performance in first-year medical students. Investigación educ. médica [online]. 2023, vol.12, n.48, pp.41-51. Epub Jan 12, 2024. ISSN 2007-5057. https://doi.org/10.22201/fm.20075057e.2023.48.23523.
Introduction
Various investigations have shown that cognitive flexibility predicts the academic performance of preschool and school children, but only a few of them have shown the participation of cognitive flexibility in the academic performance of university students.
Objective
To analyze the association between cognitive flexibility and academic performance of first-year medical students; in addition to some socioeconomic background that influences cognitive development and academic performance.
Method
In a sample of 406 first-year medical students, we evaluated cognitive flexibility (with the WisConPC computer program) and socioeconomic background as factors associated with the academic performance of medical students with multiple linear regression analysis.
Results
Indicated that cognitive flexibility and sociocultural context are factors associated with general academic performance, particularly in biomedical subjects.
Conclusions
The findings of this study have implications for the teaching-learning process of biological and chemical sciences since teachers can promote cognitive flexibility using didactic strategies aimed at the development and use of mental operations that imply the formulation of inferences and the application of proportional, logical, and probabilistic reasoning, thus contributing to the construction and transformation of the students’ knowledge.
Keywords : academic performance; cognitive flexibility; medical students; socioeconomic level.