Burcu KÜÇÜK BİÇER, Özlem COŞKUN
Academic Journal of Health - 2026;4(2):43-48
Background and Aims: Emergency remote education during the COVID-19 pandemic transformed medical education and exposed differences in students' capacity to learn online. This study assessed medical students' attitudes toward e-learning and e-learning readiness after this compulsory experience and examined whether readiness was associated with attitude independently of demographic characteristics and digital access. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 656 students enrolled in years 1-5 at a medical school in Ankara, Türkiye. Attitudes were assessed with the 23-item Turkish Test of e-Learning Related Attitudes, and readiness with the 25-item Self-Assessment of Readiness for e-Learning scale. Associations were examined using Spearman correlation and multivariable linear regression. Results: The participation rate was 26.2%. The mean item scores were 2.86 +/- 0.53 for attitude and 3.98 +/- 0.55 for readiness. Readiness was strongly and positively correlated with e-learning attitude (Spearman rho=0.607, 95% CI 0.432-0.749, p<0.001). The strongest domain correlations were observed for online skills (rho=0.626) and motivation (rho=0.592). In the multivariable model, a one-standard-deviation increase in readiness was associated with a 0.326-point increase in the mean attitude score (95% CI 0.223-0.429, p<0.001). Conclusion: E-learning readiness, particularly online skills and motivation, was strongly associated with medical students' attitudes toward e-learning. Sustainable blended curricula should support online learning skills, motivation, and self-regulation in addition to providing infrastructure.
