Parvaneh Sharifi; Alireza Manzari Tavakoli; Mitra Kamyabi; Zahra Zeinaddiny Meymand
Abstract
Background: Program accreditation is one of the approaches to improve the quality of educational programs and is increasingly used in medical science education. Considering the lack of a program accreditation model at the undergraduate level of medical sciences in Iran.Objectives: The present study was ...
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Background: Program accreditation is one of the approaches to improve the quality of educational programs and is increasingly used in medical science education. Considering the lack of a program accreditation model at the undergraduate level of medical sciences in Iran.Objectives: The present study was conducted to develop accreditation standards for educational programs at the undergraduate level.Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020-2021 using a mixed qualitative-quantitative method in two phases. In the first and qualitative phase, the qualitative opinions of nine experts in the basic fields and standards (assessed by the research team in the previous descriptive-comparative study) were obtained by holding a focus group (semi-structured interview). In the second and quantitative phase, the obtained accreditation domains and standards were prepared as an online questionnaire and sent to 16 Iranian experts to confirm the final standards. After analyzing the data, the accreditation standards for undergraduate educational programs were proposed.Results: According to our results, 12 domains and 69 criteria were proposed as accreditation standards for educational programs. The results of the analysis of content validity ratio and content validity index showed that the values of all 12 domains and 69 criteria were higher than 0.49 and 0.7, respectively. As a result, all domains and criteria were approved. Moreover, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in all 12 domains was higher than 0.96, indicating an excellent ICC in the proposed domains.Conclusion: Providing the framework of local program accreditation standards and criteria helps improve and promote the quality of medical science educational programs and leads to the higher trust of domestic and foreign stakeholders in these programs.
Mitra Kamyabi
Abstract
Background: Nowadays, expectations from higher education systems have changed, and the purpose of these centers is not only to transfer information. One of the solutions to respond to higher education’s new need is to move toward lifelong learning.Objectives: This research was conducted to investigate ...
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Background: Nowadays, expectations from higher education systems have changed, and the purpose of these centers is not only to transfer information. One of the solutions to respond to higher education’s new need is to move toward lifelong learning.Objectives: This research was conducted to investigate the desirable features of content in higher education with an emphasis on the lifelong learning approach.Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with a content analysis approach in 2019. Nineteen faculty members of Isfahan University, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, and Medical Sciences Universities of Kerman and Isfahan, who were experienced in the fields of curriculum planning, higher education, and teaching and learning, were selected to participate in the study through purposive sampling. Data were collected through open-ended semi-structured interviews. Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative method was used to analyze the data. The results of data analysis were presented during three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The peer check method and external observer were used in order to ensure the reliability and acceptability of the data.Results: According to the results of this research, three main categories were identified as the desirable features of content with an emphasis on the lifelong approach. The first category was “suitability of the content for society and its needs”, which includes the components of being up-to-date and applicability and usefulness. The second category is “suitability for the learner and his/her needs”, which includes the dimensions of matching with the learner’s interest, need, and ability, developing individual skills according to the learners’ potential, and developing excellent thinking skills. The third category is “suitability for curriculum regulations”, which includes the components of continuous education, learning with multiple methods, quality, flexibility, diversity, coherence, and self-direction.Conclusion: The results of this research can be used in revising higher education content with an emphasis on educating individuals with the feature of lifelong learning.
Parvaneh Sharifi; Alireza Manzari Tavakoli; Mitra Kamyabi; Zahra Zeinaddiny Meymand
Abstract
Background: Program accreditation is a quality assurance educational program implemented in many countries.Objectives: This study aimed to compare program accreditation standards of the Ministry of Health of Iran with several selected countries and to extract program accreditation standards to benefit ...
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Background: Program accreditation is a quality assurance educational program implemented in many countries.Objectives: This study aimed to compare program accreditation standards of the Ministry of Health of Iran with several selected countries and to extract program accreditation standards to benefit from the experiences of other countries.Methods: The present descriptive-comparative study was performed in 2020. The information required for the study was collected by searching on the Internet on valid websites of accreditation institutes of medical sciences and higher education in Iran and other countries. Among them, the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) program accreditation standards and eight countries from different continents were compared with Iran. The research was conducted using the Beredy model.Results: The results showed that the standards in the studied programs were significantly different both quantitatively and qualitatively. It was also found that the accreditation standards of educational programs in Iran, Kazakhstan, and the WFME were consistent regarding the areas’ number and titles, but there was a difference in the number and titles of the criteria and indicators.Conclusion: Considering the vital role of graduates of medical sciences in promoting community health and also given the current and particular situation and the global conflict with COVID-19 epidemic, which has disrupted face-to-face education and evaluation at all educational levels, upgrading and improving the quality of medical education programs seems necessary more than ever. Therefore, to evaluate and promote the quality of these programs, it is suggested to codify accreditation standards of educational programs locally and according to the current conditions.