Letter to editor
Majid Zare Bidaki
Review
Seyedeh Azam Sajadi; Nahid Rajai; Jamileh Mokhtari Nouri
Abstract
Background Lack of suitable educational programs in nursing causes irreparable damage to the community’s health and reduces the academic credibility of universities. In Iran, the master of science in nursing (MScN) program is not tailored to the needs of the community, and graduates lack the required ...
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Background Lack of suitable educational programs in nursing causes irreparable damage to the community’s health and reduces the academic credibility of universities. In Iran, the master of science in nursing (MScN) program is not tailored to the needs of the community, and graduates lack the required nursing skills. Considering the distinguished quality of higher education in Japan, the aim of the present study is to perform a comparative analysis of MScN programs in Iran and Japan. Methods In this descriptive comparative study, an extensive electronic search was carried out in Persian and English databases, including PubMed, Iran Medex, Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, scientific information database (SID), and MagIran among articles published during 1997 - 2016. The gathered data were categorized and compared according to the study objectives. Results In comparison with Iran, Japan has a longer history of postgraduate nursing programs, and its educational system has prominent strengths and advantages including: admission interviews; English language requirements for admission; versatility and flexibility of the educational curricula to facilitate student employment during education; integration of research-based units in the curricula; and attention to community-based and home care nursing. Conclusions Comparison of the educational systems of Iran and Japan highlights the need for more flexible curricula in Iran in accordance with the community’s needs.
Original Article
Ahmad Ahmadi; Mansoureh Taghavinia; Kamran Soltani Arabshahi; Mohammad Sadegh Ghasemi
Abstract
Background Based on the plan of revolution and innovation in medical education that was issued by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the extensive role of such programs in the qualitative promotion of universities, The academic ranking of world universities is of great importance, ...
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Background Based on the plan of revolution and innovation in medical education that was issued by the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education, and the extensive role of such programs in the qualitative promotion of universities, The academic ranking of world universities is of great importance, since the qualitative and quantitative implementation of academic ranking can influence the realization of the university’s goals. Hence, the current study aimed at collecting data about the academic ranking of world universities as well as its criteria and indices and their relationship with globalization. Methods To gain access to reputable databases in university ranking, an extensive search was performed in Google Scholar. Thereafter, after getting access to reputable databases such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Times higher education world University ranking (THE), Quacquarelli Symonds world University rankings (QS), Webometric, and Islamic world science citation center (ISC), data were collected and classified. Results Based on the collected data, the history of university rankings and ranking systems, as well as criteria and indices pertaining to the academic ranking of world universities, was derived, and the specificities of the criteria and indices were discussed. Conclusions University rankings are usually performed on a combination of performance-associated indices and criteria. Efforts to achieve a desirable position based on the criteria and indices of the ranking system play an important role in the promotion of educational quality and globalization.
Original Article
Roghayeh Valipour Khajehghyasi; Seied Ebrahim Mirshah Jafari; Leila Shahbaznejad
Abstract
Background Interprofessional education is an approach aimed at preparing healthcare staff to provide patients with better services in a participatory atmosphere. As such, interprofessional teaching and learning across healthcare professions is very important. Considering the key role of faculty members ...
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Background Interprofessional education is an approach aimed at preparing healthcare staff to provide patients with better services in a participatory atmosphere. As such, interprofessional teaching and learning across healthcare professions is very important. Considering the key role of faculty members in advancing the goals of interprofessional education, the present study sought to examine perceptions among faculty members about the concept of interprofessional education. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study involved faculty members of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences. The interdisciplinary education perception scale (IEPS) was used to collect information. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean and standard deviation) and analytical statistics (t-test, Independent t-test and analysis of variance), and P ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results The mean perception score of interprofessional education among faculty members was 3.71 ± 0.44. Although there was no significant difference between the perceptions of female and male faculty members towards interprofessional education (P = 0.104), there was a significant difference between the perception of members of different faculties towards interprofessional education (P = 0.037). In addition, there were significant differences among faculty members in perception towards interprofessional education (P < 0.001) according to their history of educational activity. Conclusions Considering the positive attitude of faculty members towards interprofessional education in the present study, the readiness of students for interprofessional learning in other studies and the positive implications of this educational approach in different areas of health care, it seems that educational planners in the field of medical education must investigate strategies and remove obstacles to implementation of interprofessional education in order to pave the way for its adoption in this domain.
Original Article
Soleiman Ahmady; Fariba Haghnejad; Zeinab Abbasi
Abstract
Background and Objectives Teacher evaluation is among the most influential methods of quality assurance and is essential to continuous quality improvement in education systems. The current study aims to evaluate the views of faculty members and basic sciences medical students on the evaluation of teachers ...
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Background and Objectives Teacher evaluation is among the most influential methods of quality assurance and is essential to continuous quality improvement in education systems. The current study aims to evaluate the views of faculty members and basic sciences medical students on the evaluation of teachers by students in the Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Sciences Branch, Tehran, Iran. Methods The current descriptive analytical study was conducted in the faculty of medical sciences during the winter of 2015. The census sampling method was used to select the participants and 335 students and 35 faculty members were enrolled accordingly, of which 300 students (89.5%) and 33 faculty members (94.2%) completed the study. The data collection instrument used was a 20-item questionnaire (created by the researcher) scored on a 5-option Likert scale. The formal validity, content validity, content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), and the structural validity of the questionnaire were confirmed using exploratory factor analysis. Its validity was measured by the Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analyzed with SPSS using t test. Results It was found that the lecturer’s popularity, students’ grades, and the research evidence provided by the lecturer in the classroom were the most important factors, while gender and course type were the least important factors influencing students’ evaluation of lecturers in the current study. The mean scores of students and lecturers regarding their views on the teacher evaluation system were 79.14 ± 11.89 and 78.00 ± 8.15 respectively. According to the results of an independent t test, no significant difference was observed between the scores of lecturers and students regarding their views on the teacher evaluation system (P > 0.01). Conclusions The questionnaire created by the researcher showed good validity and reliability to evaluate the views of faculty members and students on the teacher evaluation system. The lecturer’s popularity, students’ grades, and the research evidence provided by the lecturer were considered as the most important factors, while gender and course type were the least important factors influencing the teachers’ evaluation, based on the comments of the faculty members and students.
Original Article
Salehe Sabouri Shahrbabak; Mahmood Reza Dehghani
Abstract
Background Active learning methods are strategies used by most universities worldwide to enhance the problem-solving ability and develop critical thinking in students. Team-based learning (TBL) is one of these methods, in which students study the lesson prior to discussion. At the beginning of the session, ...
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Background Active learning methods are strategies used by most universities worldwide to enhance the problem-solving ability and develop critical thinking in students. Team-based learning (TBL) is one of these methods, in which students study the lesson prior to discussion. At the beginning of the session, the individual readiness assurance test (iRAT) is given to students, and then they answer the same questions through discussion in a team. Finally, problems are resolved by the teacher and results are given to students. Methods In the current study, 30 pharmacology students were randomly assigned to two groups of 16 and 14 subjects. The educational content of pharmaceutical biotechnology was given to the 16- and 14-subject groups using traditional lecturing and TBL methods, respectively. Finally, both groups were assessed and compared based on a same method. Results The average scores of the lecturing and TBL groups were 6.77 ± 1.97 and 8.32 ± 2.65 out of 13.75, respectively (6.25 scores belonged to class activities, which were not included in comparisons). No significant difference was observed between the mean score of groups (P = 0.07), although the difference was very close to significant, which can be attributed to the current study’s small sample size. One subject in the TBL group and six in the lecturing group failed to pass the course; the difference between the groups in this regard was noticeable. Conclusions Although results of the current study showed no significant superiority of TBL over the lecturing method, most students were satisfied with the TBL method. Hence, it is recommended to employ this method with freshmen.
Original Article
Aram Feizi; Parivash Mohammadlou; Leili Salehi
Abstract
Background Assisting teachers to modify and improve their method of teaching is among the main goals of teachers’ evaluations. The current study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the teaching performance evaluation questionnaire in Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. Methods The ...
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Background Assisting teachers to modify and improve their method of teaching is among the main goals of teachers’ evaluations. The current study aimed to psychometrically evaluate the teaching performance evaluation questionnaire in Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran. Methods The original 28-item scale was scored based on a Likert scale obtained from former studies and was translated into Persian after obtaining permission from the designer. Then, the impact item score, content validity index (CVI), and content validity ratio (CVR) of the questionnaire were assessed by 11 experts, and its structural validity was also evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was also assessed by its internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Results The reference version included 28 items, 23 of which were translated into Persian based on the impact factor 1.5, CVI > 0.59, and CVR > 0.70. Based on the exploratory factor analysis, the final version of the questionnaire included 23 items, and 3 factors were extracted. The scale could predict 51% of the total changes. Conclusions Results of the current study indicated refined structure factor and good reliability for the psychometric adequacy of the teaching performance evaluation questionnaire. The results of the current study can be used by universities as well as other educational institutes to evaluate teachers’ adequacy.
Original Article
Farzaneh Eghbal; Reza Hoveida; Seyed Ali Siadat; Hossein Samavatyan; Mohammad Hossein Yarmohammadian
Abstract
Background Since employing talent management as a system to identify, recruit, train, promote, and retain talented faculty members to optimize the capabilities of the university to achieve goals seems necessary, the current study aimed to identify the talent management components of faculty members. ...
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Background Since employing talent management as a system to identify, recruit, train, promote, and retain talented faculty members to optimize the capabilities of the university to achieve goals seems necessary, the current study aimed to identify the talent management components of faculty members. Methods This qualitative study was conducted on the directors and faculty members of Isfahan University, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and Isfahan University of Technology, Iran. A purposive sampling method was used and semi-structured interviews conducted to collect data. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and transferred to a computer using MAXQDA software. Following this, the data were coded, categorized, and interpreted, and then analyzed using a content analysis method. Results After interviewing 18 university directors and faculty members, data pooling, data saturation, and data replication were performed. Accordingly, 107 codes were extracted from the obtained data and categorized into seven major classes. These were Defining and identifying talent needs, discovering talent sources, Attracting talents, Developing the potential abilities of talents, Strategically deploying talents, Retaining talents, and evaluation and alignment of talent management activities. Conclusions Based on the results, 7 main classes and 20 subclasses of talent management components of faculty members were identified. These components are provided in a conceptual model. The evaluation and alignment of talent management activities are the main factors supporting talent management. Furthermore, dynamic coherence and integrity in identifying, discovering, attracting, developing, retaining, and effectively using talent, and the alignment of such features with the general strategy of the university were considered the strengths of the suggested conceptual model.
Original Article
Rita Mojtahedzadeh; Atekeh Mousavi; Mandana Shirazi; Aeen Mohammadi
Abstract
Background Because of the developments and advancements in information technology (IT), unparalleled opportunities have been provided in electronic arenas; among them, electronic learning (e-learning) systems have brought attention to the facilitation of education. Since educational environment is a ...
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Background Because of the developments and advancements in information technology (IT), unparalleled opportunities have been provided in electronic arenas; among them, electronic learning (e-learning) systems have brought attention to the facilitation of education. Since educational environment is a factor influencing the success of educational programs, the current study aims at evaluating the factors that create the educational atmosphere in cyberspace. Methods The current study employed a qualitative content analysis approach and a targeted sampling method. A total of 11 students and 13 faculty members were recruited by a semi-structured interview in 2015. The interviews were continued separately for both students and lecturers up to the saturation of sample size. After the interview data were qualitatively analyzed. Results After the data analysis, 685 codes were extracted out of the qualitative data, which were reevaluated in several stages and classified into 38 subcategories. Then, 13 categories and 6 domains (The status of virtual education, learner support, teaching skills, evaluation, professionalism and professional ethics, and self-efficacy) were created. Conclusions Since the educational environment is an inseparable part of a curriculum, the factors creating an educational atmosphere in cyberspace are critically important and necessary for the qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the curriculum and prediction of educational outcomes.
