Mehrnoosh Khoshnoodifar; Moein Zangiabadian; Mehran Ilaghi
Abstract
Background: Teaching research skills to medical students is an essential component of modern medical education curricula. Despite the students' need and enthusiasm for practical research courses, there is a lack of basic training, particularly on secondary research types.Objectives: In this study, we ...
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Background: Teaching research skills to medical students is an essential component of modern medical education curricula. Despite the students' need and enthusiasm for practical research courses, there is a lack of basic training, particularly on secondary research types.Objectives: In this study, we aimed to design, implement and evaluate a systematic review training course for medical students.Methods: This was a pretest-posttest study conducted among medical students of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) in Iran. A total of 78 medical students were screened for eligibility based on their lack of previous systematic review publication experience and 30 individuals were ultimately enrolled to participate in the training course. A pre-test consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions was administered to the students. Following the ADDIE instructional design model, the training course was conducted in 12 sessions using a blended approach (in-person, synchronous online, and asynchronous sessions). At the end of the course, the evaluation of student satisfaction, knowledge, and skills was performed based on the Kirkpatrick model.Results: Out of the 30 participating students, 27 successfully completed the course and took part in the post-test. Among them, 23 individuals expressed 100% satisfaction with the course implementation. Comparison of pre-test and post-test scores indicated a significant improvement in participants' theoretical knowledge (p-value<0.001). The most pronounced increase in the knowledge level was observed in clerkship students and interns. Asynchronous online teaching was significantly more effective than in-person and synchronous online methods. At the end of the course, eight participants tested their practical skills by successfully registering a systematic review study protocol on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) website.Conclusion: Overall, this study underscores the value of organizing research workshops focused on systematic review methodology as an effective means to enhance the knowledge of medical students in the realm of high-quality evidence-based research methods.
Habibeh Ahmadipour; Amirhossein Alirezaie; Mina Mobasher
Abstract
Background: Medical ethics courses play a pivotal role in medical education, aiming to enhance the moral decision-making capabilities of medical students. As such, the evaluation of medical ethics education programs within medical faculties is of paramount importance for the improvement of these initiatives.Objectives: ...
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Background: Medical ethics courses play a pivotal role in medical education, aiming to enhance the moral decision-making capabilities of medical students. As such, the evaluation of medical ethics education programs within medical faculties is of paramount importance for the improvement of these initiatives.Objectives: This study aimed to appraise the psychometric properties of the Context, Input, Process, Product (CIPP) evaluation model in medical ethics education.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 136 clerckship medical students, who were enrolled in a medical ethics course at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. The participants completed a 40-item researcher-made questionnaire, which was designed based on the CIPP evaluation model. The questionnaire was divided into four distinct sections, each corresponding to the context, input, process, and product aspects of the model. The face and content validity of the instrument was established by an expert panel, consisting of 10 faculty members of medical education and medical ethics. The reliability of the questionnaire was also determined by calculating its internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Moreover, the construct validity of the questionnaire was assessed via confirmatory factor analysis, using the goodness of fit indices. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 19 and Lisrel 8.8.Results: The content validity index and content validity ratio of the questionnaire were measured to be 0.97 and 0.89, respectively. The internal consistency of different sections of the questionnaire ranged between 0.71 and 0.87. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the model showed acceptable goodness of fit indices.Conclusion: In this study, the psychometric properties of the CIPP evaluation model for medical ethics education were found to be acceptable and applicable.
Habibeh Ahmadipour; Diana Hajipour
Abstract
Background: Online social presence is one of the main contributors which has a significant impact on student's academic performance.Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the online social presence among medical students using the Persian Version of the Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) ...
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Background: Online social presence is one of the main contributors which has a significant impact on student's academic performance.Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the online social presence among medical students using the Persian Version of the Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) after determining its psychometric properties.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 medical students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2021. The participants were selected through quota sampling. A two-part online questionnaire containing demographic data and the Persian version of the Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) was used for data collection. Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0 and LISREL version 8.80. Internal consistency of the Persian version was determined. ANOVA, Independent T-test, and multiple linear regression were also used. The significance level was considered as 0.05.Results: Out of 303 medical students, 63.7 percent were female with a mean age of 22.83±2.84 years. The mean score of the social identity subscale (P = 0.001) and the total score (P = 0.03) was significantly higher in females. Also, the mean of the intimacy subscale was significantly higher in interns and basic sciences students compared to pre-clinical students. (P = 0.006) The Cronbach alpha coefficient ranged from 0.70 to 0.93 for the whole scale and its subscales. The factor loading of all items was at an acceptable level ranging from 0.4 to 0.95. Almost all of the goodness of fit indices had excellent levels.Conclusion: Our study revealed that the Persian version of OSPQ is a simple, valid, and reliable tool to assess medical students’ sense of social presence in an online environment.
Azadeh Ebrahimzadeh; Mohammad Reza Abedini; Kherionesa Ramazanzade; Bita Bijari; Hamed Aramjoo; Majid Zare Bidaki
Abstract
Background: Currently medical education in Iran consists of basic sciences, physiopathology and clinical stages. Medical students learn them separately and often are confused that how basic sciences materials would be helpful for the patient’s diagnosis and treatment. Integration of various ...
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Background: Currently medical education in Iran consists of basic sciences, physiopathology and clinical stages. Medical students learn them separately and often are confused that how basic sciences materials would be helpful for the patient’s diagnosis and treatment. Integration of various related subjects during medical education is one the proposed strategy to overcome this problem. Objectives: The present study was conducted to assess the effect of an integrated teaching approach on medical students’ attitudes and knowledge about infection diseases.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the infectious disease ward of Valia-e-asr Hospital affiliated to Birjand University of Medical of Sciences, Birjand, Iran. A total of 60 medical students (stagers) were randomly selected and assigned to the control and intervention groups. The two groups were matched based on their grade point average (GPA), age, and gender. An integrated teaching approach was adopted in the intervention group by four epidemiology, microbiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology professors. The students’ knowledge was assessed by a written exam, and their attitude was evaluated using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 16 and using paired and independent samples t-test.Results: The analyses showed that 52% of the participants were male. The mean scores in the cognitive and emotional domains (the students’ points of view) were not correlated with students’ gender, and they were not significantly different before (p= 0.12) and after (p= 0.25) the intervention. The students’ final learning scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than that of the control group (16.16±1.17 vs 14.12±1.73; p=0.001).Conclusion: The integration of basic and clinical subjects helps students to better understand the physiopathology of diseases and enhances their satisfaction.
Saeideh Moslemizadeh; Habibeh Ahmadipour
Abstract
Background: Academic underachievement is a growing phenomenon among medical students, influenced by several factors.Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between academic underachievement and problematic cell phone use among medical students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Methods: ...
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Background: Academic underachievement is a growing phenomenon among medical students, influenced by several factors.Objectives: This study investigated the relationship between academic underachievement and problematic cell phone use among medical students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 medical students at KUMS during the academic year 2019. The Persian version of Problematic Cellular Phone Use Questionnaire was used for data collection. Also, the demographic data of the students were recorded, and they were asked to declare if they had a history of academic underachievement in the previous year. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 20.0 using Chi-square test and logistic regression.Results: The mean age of medical students was 22.41±2.6 years, and the majority (74.3 %) of them were female. The chance of academic underachievement was 6.37 times higher in medical students who have problematic cellular phone use compared to those without it (OR=6.37, P=0.001). Also, this chance was 4.45 times higher in medical students who had a history of psychological disorders compared to those without (OR=4.45, P=0.02).Conclusion: The current study revealed that the chance of academic underachievement was higher in medical students with problematic cellular phone use and a history of psychological disorders. Given that academic underachievement is not uncommon, its related factors must be appropriately identified and intervened on time.
Abdolhussein Shakurnia; Mahmood Maniati; Nasrin Khajeali; Maryam Barani
Abstract
Background: Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patientpractitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students.Methods: ...
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Background: Empathy is an important component of effective communication of a patientpractitioner relationship. Medical students are expected to know this ability as part of their education.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the effect of a short-training course on the empathy levels of medical students.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study conducted on eighty second-year medical students in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS), Iran, 2019. The intervention comprised of a lecture-based short training course, which was taught by a psychiatrist and was held in two sessions (Two hours each) for two consecutive weeks. Empathy was assessed using the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Student version (JSE) before and after the intervention. Students with empathy scores higher than average were considered high empathy group, and those with scores lower than average as low empathy group. Data were analyzed using paired T-tests through SPSS software, version 16.Results: The mean JSE score was 99.66±13.4 and 101.62 ± 16.37, before and after the -intervention, respectively. However, despite the score increased, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.054). Nevertheless, the empathy scores of high-empathy students significantly increased after the-intervention (110.49 Vs 114.15, p=0.002). The empathy level also showed a significant enhancement in female students after training (p=0.006).Conclusion: This study shows that a short training course is somewhat effective in developing medical student empathy. The findings suggest a need for revision of content and implementation of this course training into the existing medical curriculum.
Kallol Debnath
Sayyed Mohammad Hossein Mousavi-Nasab; Mahboobe Shamsi Nezhad
Abstract
Background: Educational situations greatly affect the mental growth and health of individuals, as well as their psychological resources. Of the psychological resources involved in education, academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, and optimism are noteworthy.Objectives: The present study aimed at ...
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Background: Educational situations greatly affect the mental growth and health of individuals, as well as their psychological resources. Of the psychological resources involved in education, academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, and optimism are noteworthy.Objectives: The present study aimed at comparing academic self-efficacy, academic motivation, and optimism among professional doctorate students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all the first- and fifth-year medical, dentistry, and pharmacy students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2018-19 as the statistical population, of whom 266 subjects were selected by simple random cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Vallerand academic motivation and the Owen and Froman college academic self-efficacy scales, as well as the life orientation test (Scheier and Carver) questionnaires. MANOVA was used to analyze the data.Results: Dental students had the highest level of self-efficacy (P=0.007). Also, the mean scores of academic self-efficacy (P = 0.001) and optimism (P = 0.03) were higher among the fifth-year students. On the other hand, in the interaction of the study field with the entry year, self-efficacy was significant (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in the academic motivation among the students of different study fields (P = 0.16) and according to the entry years. (P = 0.13)Conclusion: Dental students choose their field of study with more interest, which further maintains and increases their academic motivation during the seven years of academic education. On the other hand, interest in the field of study is one of the variables influencing the maintenance and increase of the self-efficacy construct over time.
Batool Ghorbani Yekta; Azar Doost Mohammadi; Tabassum Saeed Parvar
Abstract
Background: It is nearly a century that psychologists strive to identify the predictors of academic achievement.Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning, achievement motivation, and academic achievement, and obtaining results to create appropriate ...
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Background: It is nearly a century that psychologists strive to identify the predictors of academic achievement.Objectives: The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between self-regulated learning, achievement motivation, and academic achievement, and obtaining results to create appropriate strategies to increase motivation and improve learning in students to help them with academic achievement and empowerment.Method: The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the academic year of 2016-2017. A total of 190 students of Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, were selected by the convenience sampling method and completed the motivated strategies for learning (MSLQ) and achievement motivation questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS.Results: There was a significant relationship between achievement motivation and the components of self-efficacy, intrinsic goal orientation, help-seeking, and time management (P <0.001). Students getting higher scores on MSLQ also got higher scores on self-efficacy, time management, and intrinsic goal orientation (P <0.001).Conclusion: According to the study results, to empower medical students in academic achievement, their self-efficacy, time management skills, and goal orientation should be improved.
Habibeh Ahmadipour
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, which has startled all of us, caused rapid and major changes in the higher education system of Iran, especially in the field of medical education. Although since 2001 the education system is trying to use virtual /distance education (1), until the start of the pandemic, e-learning ...
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The COVID-19 pandemic, which has startled all of us, caused rapid and major changes in the higher education system of Iran, especially in the field of medical education. Although since 2001 the education system is trying to use virtual /distance education (1), until the start of the pandemic, e-learning had a low share in the educational programs of most medical universities and was considered as a less important secondary educational method. Since controlling the pandemic requires avoiding face-to-face training, e-learning is the most important way to provide educational content and holding courses in almost all medical universities of Iran.According to the literature, e-learning is faced with five challenges related to the university, professors, students, e-learning systems, and e-classroom environment (2). However, there are studies which mentioned to four categories of challenges, including technical and technological (weakness in telecommunications infrastructure), teachers and learners (unfamiliarity with the structure and technology used for e-learning), ethical challenges (weakness of existing technologies for fraud detection), and problems related to psychological issues (technology-related anxieties such as power and internet outages and system crashes) (3). Since the onset of the pandemic in Iran was simultaneous with the start of the new educational semester, there was no opportunity for proper planning. Therefore, most of the medical universities focused their planning, policies, and activities on finding proper educational platforms (while having eyes on costs, convenience, etc.) to provide educational content (either online or offline), creating or modifying the infrastructure of distance/electronic/online education, and providing intensive training courses for familiarizing university teachers with these methods of education and Learning Management Systems (LMS). It seems that less attention is paid to students, who are the other side of e-learning systems. We, unfortunately, ignored that a sudden shift from an almost complete face-to-face education to complete e-learning creates challenges for students. It was assumed that, if correct educational content (according to educational objectives) be provided correctly by the professors and through a proper communication path, students would receive the content correctly.Although nowadays students are Millennials or from the Z generation and we name them as digital citizens or the Internet generation, however, their ability to use e-learning systems is different. For face-to-face instruction, it was emphasized that students' differences should be taken into account to increase the effectiveness of the education, butthis has been overlooked in our current e-learning systems, which may be due to the rapid and forced transformation from face-to-face to the electronic methods.Given that likely, the coronavirus will be with us for at least the next two years, so students' challenges in e-learning and related factors should be addressed. If the current situation is properly understood, it would be possible to take timely and effective steps to provide evidence-based interventions for effective electronic training and evaluations.
Mohammad Mahdi Hayatbakhsh Abbasi; Ali Hosseininasab; Tahereh Alinaghi; Fatemeh Karami Robati
Abstract
Background Dissertations or theses are valuable sources of information, which play an important role in scientific development because of their specific nature and characteristics. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the status of medical students and residents' dissertations in terms ...
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Background Dissertations or theses are valuable sources of information, which play an important role in scientific development because of their specific nature and characteristics. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the status of medical students and residents' dissertations in terms of contribution to scientific development in Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods This cross-sectional, analytical study examined the status of medical students and residents' dissertations, submitted to the Medical Faculty of Kerman University of Medical Sciences during 2012 - 2015. First, the research deputy of Kerman University of Medical Sciences provided the dissertation information. Then, the information was analyzed in terms of study design, study type, extraction of Persian and English articles, publication in domestic and international journals, and indexing in reputable scientific databases in two groups of medical students and residents' dissertations. SPSS was used for all statistical analyses. Results In total, 643 dissertations were studied, including 342 (53%) residents and 301 (47%) medical students' thesis. Overall, 267 (41.5%) dissertations were published as articles in domestic and international journals. The findings showed that 13.4% of articles were indexed in the Scopus database. The mean scores of medical students and residents' dissertations were 19.22 ± 0.70 and 19.15 ± 0.85, respectively. Conclusions Despite the large number of medical students and residents' dissertations submitted to Kerman University of Medical Sciences, a limited number of dissertations were published as scientific and research papers, and the number of articles indexed in international journals was insignificant. Thesis writing is generally a unique opportunity for students to learn research skills and methods. In addition, publication of thesis findings in domestic and international databases can lead to scientific development.
Ali Khalooei; Akram Karbakhsh
Abstract
Background Community medicine departments play a major role in the education of medical students in order to provide primary health care services. The appropriate quality of education in such departments plays an important role in providing effective services for health promotion of communities. Objectives ...
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Background Community medicine departments play a major role in the education of medical students in order to provide primary health care services. The appropriate quality of education in such departments plays an important role in providing effective services for health promotion of communities. Objectives The current study was aimed to evaluate the quality of educational services at the Community Medicine Department of Kerman University of Medical Sciences from the viewpoint of interns and apprentices. Methods The current cross sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on all medical students that completed their internship or apprenticeship course at the Community Medicine Department of Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2016 as the study population. Data were collected by the service quality measurement questionnaire (SERVQUAL), and analyzed by Independent test, paired test, and one sample test, as well as Pearson correlation coefficient. Results Of 244 participants in the study, 58.2% (n = 142) were female and 41.8% (n = 102) male, 57% (n = 139) were in the internship and 43% (105) in the apprenticeship courses. From the students' point of view, the mean score of perception in all five dimensions of educational quality was significantly lower than the expectations score, which indicated a negative gap in the quality of educational services in all dimensions (P < 0.001). The greatest quality gap was observed in the responsiveness dimension (- 0.86) and the lowest in the assurance dimension (- 0.59). The utility level of the quality of educational services in the Department of Community Medicine was 84% from the viewpoint of the students. The highest level of utility in the quality of medical services was respectively observed in the dimensions of assurance (86.4%) and empathy (86.1%) and the lowest in responsiveness dimension (79.6%) (P < 0.001). The lowest and highest correlations were respectively observed between tangibles and assurance (r = 0.486) and between empathy and assurance (r = 0.708) dimensions. Conclusions In all five dimensions of the quality of educational services, there were negative gap that required planning for quality improvement. Issues such as modifying educational contents and tailoring training to future jobs, modifying educational methods, increasing the contribution of students to educational planning, and updating educational facilities should be considered more urgently in the education quality promotion programs.
Majid Sadoughi; Amene Markoubi
Abstract
Background Academic burnout has several negative consequences such as decreased motivation, academic eagerness, and achievement among students. Objectives The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between basic psychological needs and academic burnout. Methods The current descriptive-correlational ...
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Background Academic burnout has several negative consequences such as decreased motivation, academic eagerness, and achievement among students. Objectives The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between basic psychological needs and academic burnout. Methods The current descriptive-correlational study was conducted among 233 students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences (140 females and 93 males) selected through stratified multistage sampling in the second semester of the 2016 - 2017 academic year. The participants responded to Breso Academic Burnout and Gagné Basic Psychological Needs questionnaires and provided their demographic information. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 22) using canonical correlation analysis. Results There was a significant negative correlation between academic burnout and autonomy (r = -0.296, P < 0.01), competence (r = -0.548, P < 0.01), and relatedness (r = -0.290, P < 0.01) needs. Canonical correlation coefficient was 0.61. The results of canonical analysis showed only one significant set of basic psychological needs and components of burnout. In addition, as psychological needs, especially the competence need, were satisfied more, the probability of academic burnout, especially in the academic inefficacy dimension, as the main component of academic burnout, was reduced. Conclusions The fulfillment of basic psychological needs, especially competence need, plays an important role in preventing academic inefficacy among students. Fulfilment of basic psychological needs in educational programs could be a protective factor against students' academic burnout and improve their academic performance.
Ali Arefi; Mohammadreza Zangiabadi; Nima Soltaninejad; Rahimeh Khademipoor
Abstract
Background According to the status of ethics in medical education and owing to the students’ talent and rational spirit, it seems that the education system, despite the emphasis on courses such as medical ethics, should focus on the improvement of teaching quality of Islamic education and explanation ...
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Background According to the status of ethics in medical education and owing to the students’ talent and rational spirit, it seems that the education system, despite the emphasis on courses such as medical ethics, should focus on the improvement of teaching quality of Islamic education and explanation of religious concepts, since emphasis on increasing the quality of Islamic education leads to the promotion of medical ethics. Objectives The current study aimed at evaluating the impact of courses on Islamic education and religious concepts on the promotion of medical ethics among the students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran. Methods The current descriptive cross sectional study was conducted on 5831 students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences as the statistical population in the academic year of 2016 - 2017. Using the Morgan table, 360 subjects were selected as the study sample using stratified random sampling method. In order to collect data, a standard questionnaire, which its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, was used. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS software. Results Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The models could explain the measurement indices, and based on the adopted method, the fitting indices of the measurement models showed the acceptability of the measurement models for Islamic education, religious concepts, and medical ethics. Conclusions In addition to the content-related relationship with medical ethics, the Islamic education promotes ethics in the target community and has a direct impact on the education of medical ethics. Also, the explanation of religious concepts has a major impact on the promotion of the quality of medical ethics, since religious concepts, as students' subjective presuppositions, help them to better understand the content of medical ethics. By the evaluation of the research hypotheses, a direct relationship was observed between the education of Islamic education and promotion of medical ethics. Accordingly, a relationship between the religious concepts and the promotion of medical ethics was also confirmed. The course of Islamic education has a lower impact on medical ethics compared with that of religious concepts. The attention paid by the medical education system to the results of data analysis leads to an increase in the quality of Islamic education course offered to the students.
Abdolhussein Shakurnia; Maryam Baniasad
Abstract
Background Since medical students play an important role in public health system as well as the treatment of patients, the need for critical thinking in them is extensively felt. The current study aimed at evaluating the level of critical thinking disposition (CTD) in the first- and last-year medical ...
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Background Since medical students play an important role in public health system as well as the treatment of patients, the need for critical thinking in them is extensively felt. The current study aimed at evaluating the level of critical thinking disposition (CTD) in the first- and last-year medical students and its association with goal orientation in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2016. Methods The current cross sectional study used critical thinking disposition inventory (CTDI) developed by Rudd and Ricketts, and achievement goal questionnaire-revised (AGQ-R) developed by McGregor and Elliot to collect data. The questionnaires were distributed among 255 students of which 204 (80%) students completed them. Data were analyzed using -test and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results Of the 204 studied subjects, 104 were the first-year and 100 the last-year medical students. The mean age of the first and last year of medical students was 18.930.86 and 24.601.31 years, respectively. Moreover, 47 first-year and 66 last-year subjects were female. The mean score of CTD for the first- and last-year students were 69.82 ± 10.60 and 71.48 ± 11.86, respectively, lower than the average range. Based on the -test results, there was no significant difference between this group students (P = 0.310). The mean score of CTD and AGQ for all the study participants was 70.75 ± 11.12 and 28.22 ± 7.76, respectively; a significant correlation was observed between critical thinking disposition and achievement goal orientation (P = 0.001, r = 0.294). Conclusions The results of the current study indicated that the CTD score was lower than average range in the first- and last-year students; besides, lack of difference between first and last year students emphasized that educational processes should be propelled toward employment of approaches to promote and strengthen critical thinking disposition.
Ghasem Salimi; Mehdi Mohamaddi; Mahboubeh Mehrvarz; Kamal Hashemi
Abstract
Background Today knowledge and information sharing by means of new technologies among university students and faculty members is important. Therefore, it is necessary to identify factors which influence knowledge sharing among university students. Objectives The main purpose of the present study was ...
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Background Today knowledge and information sharing by means of new technologies among university students and faculty members is important. Therefore, it is necessary to identify factors which influence knowledge sharing among university students. Objectives The main purpose of the present study was to examine the role of technology acceptance in improving knowledge sharing among students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Methods In this applied research, a descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study was used. The study sample consisted of 228 medical students from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The data collection tools included two questionnaires, i.e., technology acceptance (Toe, 2011) and knowledge sharing (Van den Hoof & Van Weenen, 2004) questionnaires. The validity of these scales in terms of form and content was examined by experts in the field, and their reliability was confirmed by measuring Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. The reliability of technology acceptance and knowledge sharing questionnaires was 0.83 and 0.72, respectively. After confirming the validity and reliability of the questionnaires, they were distributed among the participants. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using one-sample -test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test in SPSS and structural equation modeling (SEM) in Lisrel 8.8. Results The results of one-sample -test showed that the levels of technology acceptance and knowledge sharing were higher than the acceptable level among medical students. In addition, the results of Pearson’s correlation test indicated a significant positive relationship between technology acceptance (and its components) and knowledge sharing. In addition, SEM showed that technology acceptance is a significant positive predictor of knowledge sharing among students. Among different components of technology acceptance, only perceived usefulness (PU) and facilitating conditions (FC) were significant predictors of knowledge collecting (P = 0.37 and 0.28, respectively). Nevertheless, other components of technology acceptance could not predict different types of knowledge sharing. Conclusions The present results showed that PU and FC could predict the knowledge sharing of students more than other components. To improve knowledge sharing in the context of higher medical education, different aspects of technology acceptance need to be evaluated and expanded; accordingly, establishment of new educational policies is necessary.
Rostam Yazdani; Elaheh Yazdan-Panah; Hajar Shafian; Habibeh Ahmadi-Pour
Abstract
Background and Objectives Self-assessment of clinical performance in a clinical setting is defined as the process of collecting internal and external data, interpreting the data on personal performance, and comparing them with a set of standards. The current study aimed at analyzing self-assessment of ...
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Background and Objectives Self-assessment of clinical performance in a clinical setting is defined as the process of collecting internal and external data, interpreting the data on personal performance, and comparing them with a set of standards. The current study aimed at analyzing self-assessment of clinical skills among medical interns at Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, and determining the relationship between practical skills and theoretical knowledge. Methods The current cross sectional, descriptive, analytical study was conducted in 2014 on a total of 141 interns from Kerman University of Medical Sciences selected via census sampling. Data were collected using a checklist including the main procedural skills of medical students and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and the Kruskal-Wallis tests with SPSS. Results The majority of participants were female (n = 79; 56%). The mean score of males` clinical skills was higher than that of females, and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Analysis of the relationship between internship duration and clinical skill scores showed that the mean score of interns who had completed 6 months of their internship was higher than that of the ones who had not; the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusions Since the performance of future general practitioners highly depends on their learning and mastery of clinical skills, acquisition of these essential skills during internships is an important objective of medical students. Correct and complete training of clinical skills, especially during internships, is integrated into the medical curriculum, although its implementation requires careful planning and compliance with the medical standards.
Hajar Shafian; Mansooreh Azizzadeh-Forouzi; Behshid Garrusi; Ali Akbar Haghdoost
Volume 13, Issue 5 , January 2017, , Pages 451-459
Abstract
Background & Objective: Learning style is a distinctive habitual behavior to gain knowledge skills or feedback attained through study or experience The key to engaging students in learning the content is identifying their preferences and learning styles as well as identifying factors influencing ...
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Background & Objective: Learning style is a distinctive habitual behavior to gain knowledge skills or feedback attained through study or experience The key to engaging students in learning the content is identifying their preferences and learning styles as well as identifying factors influencing these variables To reach this goal predictive variables of learning styles should be accurately identified in order to improve the learning environment The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between learning styles and selfesteem in students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: This descriptiveanalytical and crosssectional study was carried out on 343 students selected through quota sampling method The data collection tools consisted of a demographic information form the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (LSI) version 2 and the Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale (RSES) Data were analyzed using chisquare test Spearmans correlation coefficient linear regression and logistic regression Results: The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 2141 (± 296) and 443% of students used absorbent learning style In addition 609% of students had poor selfesteem No statistically significant association was observed between students learning styles and levels of confidence In addition the results showed that only gender was a prognostic factor in determining learning styles Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the students selfesteem and learning styles were not correlated; thus teachers can disregard these factors in their assessment of students learning styles
Maryam Alizadeh; Gholamreza Hassanzadeh
Volume 13, Issue 5 , January 2017, , Pages 460-467
Abstract
Background & Objective: Utilizing the immediate feedback assessment to Technique (IFAT) in teambased learning is a controversial issue due to its high cost The aim of this study was to investigate medical students views about the outcomes of using IFAT regarding the cooperation rate and method of ...
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Background & Objective: Utilizing the immediate feedback assessment to Technique (IFAT) in teambased learning is a controversial issue due to its high cost The aim of this study was to investigate medical students views about the outcomes of using IFAT regarding the cooperation rate and method of students in teambased learning activates Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in 2016 at the School of Medicine Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iran The study population consisted of medical students who had experienced both teambased learning methods (with and without IFAT) Convenience sampling was performed based on the willingness of students to complete a researchermade valid and reliable questionnaire Data were analyzed using SPSS software Results: The IFAT is designed for use in multiresponse questions Based on predetermined patterns the answer was hidden under a surface which was scratched off by students after discussing the answer Of the 139 participants 555% stated that utilizing IFAT caused an increase in the time of discussion and 388% believed that it had small or very small effect on the participation of students who would not previously take part in the discussion In addition 842% noted that the use of this tool increased the accuracy of answers 85 (611%) believed that IFAT made team discussion more exciting Moreover 532% noted that it enhanced the depth of the discussion and 604% stated that discussions became more serious However the majority of students (503%) believed that it had little effect on the integration of knowledge of other subjects in answering questions The students views in the open question in addition to approving the quantitative results showed that students may wait for other teams to reveal the answer before using their form Conclusion: The students believed that the use of the IFAT has positive effects on participation in team work Although it may be a costly method due to its positive effects from the perspective of students the cost associated with buying or producing of the tool seems to be economical In order to prevent the creation of a competitive educational environment it is recommended that students be made effectively aware of the goals and rationales of using this tool Student orientations should be done in multiple time intervals and must be taken into consideration on other related circumstance such as professional code of conduct training
Somayeh Mohammadizad; Mehran Aghapour-Joibary
Volume 13, Issue 4 , November 2016, , Pages 349-360
Abstract
Background & Objective: The exam night phenomenon is a phenomenon observed among Iranian students in recent years This means that students study the lessons offered during the term only on the night before the exam The aim of this study was to investigate students views and reasons regarding the ...
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Background & Objective: The exam night phenomenon is a phenomenon observed among Iranian students in recent years This means that students study the lessons offered during the term only on the night before the exam The aim of this study was to investigate students views and reasons regarding the exam night phenomenon of night Methods: This qualitative study was conducted through phenomenological method and purposive sampling The participants consisted of BSc students of Babol University of Medical Sciences (Iran) who had completed at least two half semesters and had experienced the exam night phenomenon Data were collected through indepth semistructured interviews and analyzed using open coding and a deep coding Results: The 3 main themes of personal problems (mental preoccupation lack of motivation students personality working while studying and study methods) educational issues (teacher textbooks interest in courses and the field of study and compact classes and the resulting fatigue) and implicit issues (university atmosphere family and the influence of friends) were effective in the exam night phenomenon Conclusion: According to the results the exam night phenomenon and its effective factors is an important issue which affects the students study method final score and many other issues
Ehsan Nezakati; Mohammad Bagher Sohrabi; Robabeh Zaroug-Hosseini; Pouneh Zolfaghari; Elaheh Yahyaei
Volume 13, Issue 4 , November 2016, , Pages 403-410
Abstract
Background & Objective: The morning report is a common useful and valuable clinical training method in the world This method when applied on the basis of evidencebased medicine (EBM) plays a more effective role in learning among medical students This study aimed to determine the impact ...
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Background & Objective: The morning report is a common useful and valuable clinical training method in the world This method when applied on the basis of evidencebased medicine (EBM) plays a more effective role in learning among medical students This study aimed to determine the impact of EBM on medical students skill in presentation of morning report and its quality Methods: This study was operations research and 80 students were selected through simple random sampling from among all medical practitioners of Shahroud University of Medical Sciences (Iran) The selected participants took part in the 3day workshop of introduction to EBM with emphasis on morning report presentation Data were gathered using a researchermade questionnaire which was validated by experts and its reliability was approved using Cronbachs alpha coefficient Questionnaires were distributed among the students before and after the study and the results were compared Data were analyzed using chisquared test and ttest in SPSS software Results: Of the 80 interns participating in the study 22 individuals (275%) were men and the rest were female Average time of internship training for the interns was 105 ± 65 months (range: 316 months) The mean quality score of morning increased significantly from 903 ± 256 at baseline to 1328 ± 303 (P = 0001) Significant changes were observed in broadband facilities computer facilities and the emergence of new and accessible scientific resources the average number of interns participating in the meeting average attendance of those on duty the night before regular attendance of teachers regular participation of interns the regular and timely attendance of those managing the discussion active participation of interns in discussions role of teachers in the meeting the selection of patients the method of discussion about different parts of the patient followup of previously introduced patients and the positive role of group administrators before and after EBM training Conclusion: Morning reports presentation based on EBM during internship at this University was desirable which can effectively result in the improvement of the quality of education regular and more beneficial attendance of teachers especially onduty specialists and more active participation of students and thus improve care training and update clinical teachers information However due to students and professors lack of knowledge regarding EBM holding training courses on this topic seems necessary
Mehregan Heidari Hengami; Nadereh Naderi; Behjat Nasery
Volume 13, Issue 1 , April 2016, , Pages 49-60
Abstract
Background & Objective: The educational environment has a fundamental role in the quality and efficiency of education The present study was undertaken to identify the perceptions of students on the educational environment in 4 major clinical wards at teaching hospitals affiliated to Hormozgan University ...
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Background & Objective: The educational environment has a fundamental role in the quality and efficiency of education The present study was undertaken to identify the perceptions of students on the educational environment in 4 major clinical wards at teaching hospitals affiliated to Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences Iran in 2014 Methods: In this descriptive crosssectional study educational environment was evaluated using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure (DREEM) Sampling was conducted through census and the study population included all medical students (n = 184) passing their clinical courses in the internal pediatrics surgical obstetrics and gynecology wards in 3 hospitals affiliated to Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukeys tests Results: The mean score achieved from the total 200 scores of the questionnaire was 10483 (524%) Although there was no significant difference between total scores of major clinical wards the pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology wards obtained the highest lowest scores respectively No significant correlation was found between education and gender and the subscales of educational environment A significant difference was observed between major clinical wards in the subscale of teachers (P < 0001) Conclusion: The educational environment at clinical wards was considered as good by students Nevertheless problematic areas exist in all subscales of educational environment The obtained results can be utilized to better understand and resolve educational environment issues in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences
Mahdi Mohammadi; Fahimeh Keshavarzi; Reza Naseri-Jahromi; Athar Rasekh-Jahromi Rasekh-Jahromi
Volume 12, Issue 5 , February 2016, , Pages 692-700
Abstract
Background & Objective: Students love of learning and need for learning lead to adopting of strategies which are the grounds for innovation especially at a global level Therefore the implementation of effective methods and strategies to create motivation and interest in learning in students seems ...
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Background & Objective: Students love of learning and need for learning lead to adopting of strategies which are the grounds for innovation especially at a global level Therefore the implementation of effective methods and strategies to create motivation and interest in learning in students seems essential The main purpose of this study was to study the relationship between medical students love of learning need for learning and passion for searching and global innovation Methods: This correlational descriptive study was carried out on students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences Iran during the 20142015 academic years From among 338 students 200 students (86 men and 114 women) were selected through random sampling method and using the Cochran formula The data collection tools consisted of McFarlanes Love of Learning Questionnaire Mowen Lifelong Learning Questionnaire the Sensation Seeking Scale and Hurts Global Innovation Questionnaire Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression in SPSS software Results: The findings indicated that love of learning and need for learning were significant positive predictors of students global innovation (R2 = 044 P < 0001) and passion for searching (R2 = 027 P < 0001) The passion for searching was a direct positive and significant predictor of students global innovation (R2 = 037 P < 0001) The mediator variable of passion for searching had a key position in the relationship of love for learning and need for learning with students global innovation Conclusion: Based on the relationship between exogenous mediator and endogenous variables it seems that the love for learning is considered to be strength In addition through perseverance individuals will win various merits Thus universities should create the grounds for students innovation by providing the necessary conditions for the flourishing of talent and creating of interest and love of learning through the passion for searching
Seiyed Davoud Nasrollahpour-Shirvani; Mostafa Javanian; Ali Shabestani-Monfared; Iman Jahanian
Volume 12, Issue 2 , August 2015, , Pages 344-354
Abstract
Background & Objective: It is attempted to identify creative and talented individuals and to ensure the satisfaction of volunteers through creating a joyful atmosphere in scientific Olympiads The aim of the present study was to assess the level of satisfaction of candidates with the quality ...
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Background & Objective: It is attempted to identify creative and talented individuals and to ensure the satisfaction of volunteers through creating a joyful atmosphere in scientific Olympiads The aim of the present study was to assess the level of satisfaction of candidates with the quality of the 5th National Medical Sciences Olympiad in Iran Methods: This crosssectional study was conducted in the summer of 2013 The study population consisted of the candidates of the 5th National Medical Sciences Olympiad among the medical universities of Iran The subjects were selected through census method The data collection tool was a questionnaire designed by the researcher and its validity and reliability were confirmed Data were analyzed using SPSS software at a significance level of P < 0050 Results: Of the 222 studied candidates around the country 67 individuals (302%) studied Basic Sciences 52 (234%) Clinical Reasoning 67 (302%) Management of Health Systems and 36 (162%) Art in Medical Education The mean satisfaction level of candidates with the quality of this national Olympiad was 32 ± 11 and with the content and functionality of this Olympiad was 33 ± 12 There was a significant relationship between gender and satisfaction with the quality of the Olympiad (P = 0002) There was a significant relationship between age (P = 0 010 r = 0 131) semester (P = 0 019 r = 0122) and academic type (P = 0 019) and satisfaction with content and functionality of this Olympiad Conclusion: Satisfaction with quality content and functionality of the 5th Olympiad was at a moderate level and thus requires improvements
Seyed Mehran Hosseini
Volume 12, Issue 2 , August 2015, , Pages 419-425
Abstract
Background & Objective: Open book exams with free access to resources are effective for the better understanding of concepts and achieving higher levels of Blooms taxonomy This study investigated the correlation of average educational grading with open book exam score and with deep information ...
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Background & Objective: Open book exams with free access to resources are effective for the better understanding of concepts and achieving higher levels of Blooms taxonomy This study investigated the correlation of average educational grading with open book exam score and with deep information processing (DIP) The attitudes of medical students in basic sciences stage regarding open book exams were also reported Methods: In this descriptive study the subjects were 34 medical students in their third semester The students were informed of the date and duration of the quiz issues in question multiplechoice form of questions and the main book source for quiz 2 weeks in advance However students were not aware of it as an open book exam until it was performed After completing the test a survey and DIP were conducted for students anonymously Data were presented in the form of descriptive statistics The ttest and the correlation of educational grading with OBE and with DIP scores were performed using SPSS software Results: The mean age of students was 2485 ± 012 years Their average educational grading and the the quiz and the DIP scores were 154 ± 022 658 ± 033 and 745 ± 137 respectively There were no significant differences among genders in the above mentioned variables The Pearson coefficient of the average educational grading was not significantly for the quiz score (0272) and the DIP score (0258) Moreover 91% of students stated that understanding is an essential requirement for success in open book exams Only 3% of students stated that open book exams reduce the incentive to attend classes Conclusion: The average educational grading of medical students in basic sciences stage based on routine quiz scores is not an appropriate index of success in open book exams and gaining a deep understanding of topics The open book exam experience may be effective in increasing their awareness of their weaknesses in understanding concepts reasoning and drawing connection between lessons
