Introduction:

Independent study and homework as a dialectical unit in the pedagogical process develop the student’s cognitive activity.

Objective:

To identify the theoretical approaches about independent study and homework developed by the student in the context of medical sciences in Cuba.

Methods:

Information management was framed within the electronic virtual library of Cuban medical journals during 2011-2018, using the descriptors “estudio independiente” [independent study] and “trabajo independiente” [independent homework]. Information analysis was carried out using the following indicators: author, year, purposes, sample, measurement, intervention, results and findings. The unit of analysis took into account both the student and the professor in initial and continuing training. The mathematical processing of the information was carried out using percentage calculation.

Results:

A total of 28 articles on both categories were consulted: 78.5% referred to independent homework and the rest to independent study. These focused on the direction of independent homework and methodological orientations, mainly in the medical major (31.8%). The main results were observed at the descriptive level (45.4%) and the level of social transformation (18.1%). The findings focused on the effectiveness of both categories in academic performance, motivation, independence, creativity and responsibility for teaching tasks with a professional, problematizing and comprehensive character, as well as on the professor’s preparation for their direction.

Conclusions:

Both categories showed limitations in initial and continuous training, which meant a pedagogical challenge, given the need to prepare the professor to train a professional with the required quality.

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