Perception of the Case Study Method and Its Impact on University Learning: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

The case method has established itself as an active methodology that promotes critical analysis, participation, and decision-making in educational contexts, especially in the field of health sciences. However, quantitative evidence on student perceptions of its effectiveness is still limited in Latin America. The objective of this study was to evaluate university students' perceptions of the case method after its application as a central pedagogical strategy in the Determinants of Health course. A quantitative, non- experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with a census sample of 54 students. The Case Method Perception Instrument (IPMC-24) was applied, validated using Aiken's V (0.89) and with high internal reliability (α = 0.93). The results show highly favorable perceptions in all dimensions evaluated: pedagogical relevance (M = 4.63), applicability in real scenarios (M = 4.74), participation and critical analysis (M = 4.74), satisfaction and perceived usefulness (M = 4.76), and overall satisfaction (M = 4.80). The relative frequencies show that more than 77% of students selected the category "Strongly agree" in all dimensions. The findings confirm that the case method is valued as a relevant, motivating, and effective strategy for developing health science skills. It is concluded that its systematic implementation promotes deep and contextualized learning, which supports its use as a central methodology in university settings focused on the analysis of real health problems.