مجله ایرانی آموزش در علوم پزشکی
سال دوازدهم شماره 11 (پیاپی 49، بهمن 1391)

Midwifery care based on the professional ethics leads to mothers’ increased prosperity and satisfaction. This study was performed to compare the effect of integration of two teaching approaches، role-modeling and narration methods، on the midwifery students’ performance in professional ethics in Qom University of Medical Sciences.

This quasi-experimental before- and after- two group study was performed on all midwifery students (N=36) assigned randomly to the experiment or control groups. All were enrolled in Maternal Child Health Course، as a clinical rotation. For the experiment group، professional ethics issues were taught by role-modeling and narrative methods، while the control one experienced only the role-modeling technique. Students'' performances in professional ethics in both groups were assessed before and after the instruction using a researcher-made observation checklist (score range: 0-27). Data were analyzed using independent t and paired t-tests.

Mean scores of students’ performance in control group was improved significantly in post test (16. 85±1. 39) compared to the pretest (12. 34±1. 42) results (t=. 71، p=. 001). Also in the experiment group، post test scores (20. 85±2. 39) were significantly different from the pretest (11. 96±1. 89) findings (t=. 82، p=. 001). Independent t test implied that the difference of post test scores in two groups was significant (t=0. 8، P=0. 000).

Although both methods were effective in improving students’ performance in professional ethics in clinical setting، a blend of two methods (narration and role modeling) was more effective than role modeling alone. It is recommended that role-modeling and narration methods be used in teaching ethical issues to midwifery students.

Continuing education is an essential component of the professionalization of nursing and could be viewed as a catalyst for the development of nursing practice. This study aimed to determine the concordance of the continuing education programs with the principles of adult learning and the effectiveness of these programs from the perspective of nurses.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study، 150 nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011 were selected using quota sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire which proved to be valid and reliable. The questionnaire had 3 sections، focusing on “Concordance rate of in-service training programs with the adult learning principles”، “Effectiveness rate of these programs”، and “the preferred educational methods”. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics، and Pearson correlation coefficient.

68% of participants were women and 89% had a BS degree in nursing. The mean score of compliance of continuing education program with principals of adult learning was 35. 2±4. 6 out of 65. The mean score for the effectiveness was 28. 6±6. 2 out of 55. As for adult learning principles، 46. 9% of the participants rated the program weak.

It is suggested that the continuing education program be revised in term of planning and implementing، based on the principles of adult learning in order to increase the effectiveness of this program.

Self directed learning has become a focus of nursing education in the past few decades due to the developmental changes in Nursing and Midwifery. Also one of the factors effecting students'' learning is their learning style. This study investigates the preferred learning style and its role in self-directed learning readiness in Nursing and Midwifery students.

The statistical population in this correlation descriptive study included all undergraduate students (N=550) of Nursing and Midwifery in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. A randomly stratified sample of 214 (%27 males and %73 females) received Kolb’s Learning Styles Inventory and Fisher’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS). For statistical analysis، descriptive statistics (Mean، and standard deviation) and inferential statistics techniques (t test، X2، MANOVA، ANOVA) were used.

Response rate was %87. Mean scores of SDLRS in students according to their preferred learning styles were 177. 12±30. 23، 176. 75±21. 9، 176. 33±18. 95 and 186. 14±17. 55 for divergent، accommodative، assimilative، and convergent styles، respectively. According to ANOVA، these mean scores were not significantly different. Chi2 test showed that while there were significant differences between the frequencies of preferred styles، there was not a significant difference in the prioritized styles between male and female students. The results of t test and MANOVA indicated that there was no significant difference between male and female students in total SDLRS scores and its subscales.

The first priority of the majority of students was assimilative style and also there were no significant gender differences in learning styles and SDLRS scores. Accordingly، it is recommended to more adapt and adjust teaching methods to these learning traits in students.