Pathology of the principles and philosophy of education course in nursing doctoral degree: A qualitative study

Philosophy of education is one of the epistemological domains of human science and one of the important courses in the curriculum of nursing doctoral degree. Quality of nursing education depends on the periodical assessment and improvement of this course. Therefore, the aim of this study was the pathological assessment of the principles and philosophy of education course in nursing doctoral degree. A qualitative design using a content analysis approach was used. Using a purposive sampling method, 11 doctoral degree students and 2 lecturers were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed. Five categories were developed: educational planning, promoting motivational strategies, modification of the process of mutual evaluation, compliance of the content with philosophy and content compliance with student's needs. The main theme was the reform of the process of educational administration. Results of this study show the importance and necessity of review and revision of the principles and philosophy of education course. In order to improve the quality of this course, the course content should be designed based on the needs of nursing students to be applicable in education, research and practice.