An equitable and positive learning environment fosters deep self-directed
learning in students and, consequently, good practice in their profession. Although demotivating
weaknesses may lead to repeated day-to-day stress with a cascade of deleterious consequences at
both personal and professional levels, a possible relationship between these parameters has not been
reported. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between students’ perceptions of
their educational environment and their stress levels.
Methods: Sixty-one first year students at the Dental Faculty, University of Malaya, Malaysia
participated. The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was used to determine
educational environment while self-rated perceived stress level was measured by the Depression
Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS).
Results: Most students (62.39%) showed positive perceptions for the total and five domains of
DREEM. The highest percentage was observed for “Students perception of learning” (64.04%) while
the lowest was for “Students’ social self-perception” (60.32%). At the same time, 61% of students
showed high perceived stress levels. However, this was not associated with their DREEM scores.
Conclusion: Although a positive perception of their educational environment was found,
minor corrective measures need to be implemented. Furthermor