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.
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.
Zahra Zeinaddiny Meymand; Parvaneh Sharifi
Abstract
Background Higher education researchers always need to analyze the factors that influence the faculty members’ participation in curriculum development. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of faculty members’ job motivation in their participation in academic curriculum ...
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Background Higher education researchers always need to analyze the factors that influence the faculty members’ participation in curriculum development. Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of faculty members’ job motivation in their participation in academic curriculum development. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of the study consisted of all faculty members of Islamic Azad University, Kerman branch (213 faculty members), of whom 137 subjects were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using Hackman and Oldham job motivation scale and academic planning questionnaire by Zeinaddiny-Meymand. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including Pearson’s correlation coefficient and regression analysis using SPSS software. Results Job motivation and its components played an important role in the role of faculty members for curriculum development as “active planning”. Task significance (r = 0.520) followed by skill variety (r = 0.490), task identity (r = 0.330), job feedback (r = 0.280), and autonomy (r = 0.164) were effective, respectively. Conclusions Considering the importance of faculty members’ job motivation for their active role in curriculum development, it is necessary to provide a good motivational system in higher education and universities to promote their attitudes toward understanding the significance and identity of their jobs. In addition to that, a suitable motivational system is essential to promote and diversify multiple specialized professional skills and to provide appropriate job feedback as well as securing the autonomy of faculty members.