UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE HUMAN ANATOMY COURSE IN UNDERGRATUATE PROGRAMS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66104/q4qx1977Keywords:
Anatomy, Higher Education, Learning, PerceptionAbstract
Introduction: The beginning of undergraduate education is a period marked by insecurities related to career choice. For this reason, many students have difficulties understanding the relevance of the anatomical foundation for their professional practice. Objective: This study evaluated health sciences students’ perceptions regarding the factors that interfere with motivation and learning of Human Anatomy content in undergraduate courses. Methodology: Students completed a questionnaire containing 40 questions related to student profile and their perceptions of: the teaching methodology used in classes; learning; assessments; knowledge of Anatomy content; interest in the discipline; and its practical application. Results: A total of 120 students were interviewed, predominantly women (86.67%), aged between 19 and 22 years (76.67%), who had already completed the Human Anatomy course. Most students positively evaluated the laboratory structure (73.33%) and disagreed that discussions at the end of each class were encouraged by the professor (77.50%). Regarding learning, strategies such as note-taking/summaries (80.83%), relating content to one’s own body (65.00%), and the use of previous exams (64.17%) were considered effective. Concerning assessments, students highlighted the inadequacy of time available for practical examinations (72.50%). The respondents recognized the importance of anatomy for their future profession (90.00%), although they reported excessive content within limited time (88.33%). In addition, they stated that the discipline was interesting (83.34%) and contributed to the understanding of other areas (80.00%). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed positive student perceptions regarding the Human Anatomy discipline. Students recognize the importance of anatomy and value practices that promote active learning, clinical integration, and clarity of objectives. However, according to the respondents, challenges still remain regarding course workload, instructional creativity, and the adequacy of assessments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Julia Armendani Passos, Priscilla Emanuele Gonçalves dos Reis, Lucas Tavares Freire, Evelise Aline Soares, Camila Pinhata, Marcos dos Santos Almeida, Erika Pasqua Tavares
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