Investigating the relationship between spiritual intelligence and academic performance of medical clerkships of Kashan’s Shahid-Beheshti Hospital

Spiritual intelligence, as the foundation of individual beliefs, plays an essential role in various fields of human life, especially the progress and academic performance of students. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between spiritual intelligence and academic performance of medical clerkships of Shahid Beheshti Hospital of Kashan University of Medical Sciences.

 In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 100 medical clerkships participated in the available method in 2020. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire of spiritual intelligence and the clerkships' average was measured to measure academic performance. Data were analyzed using T-test and Pearson correlation test and SPSS16 software.

 There is no significant relationship between spiritual intelligence (and its components) and clerkships' academic performance (p <0.05). The average component of self-awareness, love and affection in male clerkships (44.10 ±15.28) was significantly higher than female clerkships (22.62±4.68) (p = 0.009). Among male clerkships, there is a significant relationship between self-awareness, love and interest, and academic performance (p = 0.025). The average component of dealing with moral values and spiritual intelligence (total score) in married clerkships was significantly higher than single clerkships (p <0.05). Also, among single clerkships, there is a significant relationship between the component of general thinking and belief dimension and academic performance (P = 0.040).

By increasing the score of self-awareness, love and affection among male clerkships, and by increasing the score of the overall thinking and belief dimension among single clerkships, the level of their academic performance increases significantly. It seems that appropriate and continuous training in the field of spiritual intelligence and educational planning in order to strengthen the spiritual values of students, will be effective in promoting students' academic performance.