Comparison between the results of academic staff self assessment and those made by the students, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2006

Background and Educational evaluation is a structured process for determination of quality and effectivness of an educational program. Of the most common and studied methods used for evaluation of academic staff is evaluation by students, however, "self-assessment" of the academic staff has not been videly used and there are few studies about it. So the purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the results of the academic staff "self assessment" and assessment by the students. This study was an analysis of correlation. Study population was clinical faculty members of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, recruited by simple sampling method. Tool of data collection was a questionnaire consisted of demographic and educational variables and questions about evaluation of theoretical and clinical teaching of member of staff. Validiy and reliabiliy of the questionnaire were approaved. Each faculty member was assessed by students and themselves and correlation between them was analysed using SPSS 13. Totally 35 member of staff participated in self assessment, with a mean age of 43.7±7.46 years, 73% male. 95.6% of the staff and only 80.6% of the students have positive attitude toword assessment of the staff by students (p<0.001). Not only there was a weak correlation between the results of staff "self assessment" and their assessment by students (r= 0.020, r=0/125) but also there was a significant difference between them (p<0.001). Differences between these measures was higher in minor teaching departments. There was a weak correlation between measures of members of staff "self assessment" and their assessment by students, so educational intervention, for improvement of competency for "self assessment" should be designed and implemented.