Research and Development in Medical Education
Volume:9 Issue: 1, 2020

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of sexual skills training and communication skills training on the sexual attitudes of married women. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all married women aged 18 to 45 years old in Tabriz in 2014.

The quasi-experimental research design consisted of three groups (pre-test and post-test) using a comparative method. Individuals were randomly placed into three groups with 15 individuals each: a sexual skills training group, a communication skills training group and a control group. All individuals were tested before starting the training sessions. The two experimental groups received educational interventions consisting of eight sessions of 60 to 90 minutes, while the control group did not receive any training. Following the training sessions, all groups completed a post-test. The Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Scale (SKAS) was used to collect the data; covariance analysis (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the results.

Based on the analysis, the results of a consequential least significant difference (LSD) test indicated a significant difference between the communication skills training method and the sexual skills training method in their roles in affecting women’s sexual attitudes positively. The P value for the communication skills group was 0.014 and 0.914 for the sexual skills group, indicating the communication skills training method was more effective. Differences are considered statistically significant at P>0.05.

Communication skills training can have a positive impact on sexual attitudes and may be a preferred training option to reduce couples’ sexual problems.

All researchers who carry out scientific research should consider the observance of research professionalism, which is indispensable. This study was carried out to validate a research professionalism model for faculty members at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

The research methods used in this study were applied in terms of the research purpose and survey for data collection. The statistical population consisted of all faculty members at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, of whom 16 individuals were selected through purposeful sampling for the qualitative section and 260 were selected through stratified random sampling for the quantitative section. Data gathering tools included interviews and questionnaires. Cronbach’s alpha and content validity were used to determine the reliability and validity of the measurement tools. The grounded theory method was used to analyze the qualitative data, and structural equation modeling (PLS) was used for the quantitative data.

Research ethics model based on causal conditions, contextual and interventional factors, strategies, developing consequences and results of a first order factor analysis showed that the measurement models possessed composite reliability, divergent validity and convergent validity. The results of a second order factor analysis showed that structural models possessed an average or above coefficient of determination R² as well as an above-average Q2 prediction criterion. T values were significant (P>0.05). Goodness of fit (GOF) was 41 (not significant).

The designed model shows both reliability and validity and an acceptable goodness of fit. Given the multidimensional nature of research professionalism, its promotion requires a systematic look at the foreground, concurrent events, consequences, and feedback on each dimension and related structures.

Evaluating the state of clinical teaching is a very essential aspect of useful teaching.It helps in determining areas of strength and areas for improvement. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate clinical teaching activities in a pediatric hospital at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, based on standards provided by the Ministry of Health in Iran.

A cross-sectional study was conducted from October to December 2018 in the setting of a pediatric hospital of the Tabriz University of medical sciences. Participants were selected from this hospital: academic members and medical students who were present in the pediatric hospital during this investigation. The evaluation tool was a checklist of standards relating to clinical teaching settings. The outcome measures included four domains, assessed using mean standard scores: teaching round, morning report, journal club, and outpatient clinic. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare scores on the checklist among academic members and medical students.

A total of 126 participants completed the checklist. Among the participants, 50 (39.6%) were 5th-year medical students, 51 (40.4%) were final-year medical students and 25(19.8%)were academic members. The highest and lowest mean standard scores were 85.3 and 34.5,the morning report and the teaching round by final-year medical students, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found among academic members and medical students’mean standard scores for teaching round (P = 0.983), morning report (P = 0.696), journal club (P= 0.952), and outpatient clinic (P = 0.060).

Considering both academic members and medical students, clinical teaching standards were not widely regarded as important in the pediatric wards of the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Some interventions are indicated to improve adherence to the Ministry of Health standards.

Teaching professional English is a field that began in the 1960s simultaneously with the worldwide recognition of English as a common scientific language among scientists and researchers. Learners’ language needs and expectations have received much attention during the last decade. Likewise, within the scope of medical English, understanding the expectations of students is of the utmost importance. This study was designed to investigate the expectations of medical students regarding English language learning and application.

This cross-sectional study examined the expectations of 362 medical students in three program groups (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy) in learning professional English during their coursework. A reliable and valid questionnaire was distributed among students who had a specific professional English course in various semesters in the faculty of medicine. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS software version 16.0

In this study, the most frequent expectation from medical students was for their teachers to translate texts into the Persian language and help them to comprehend medical texts and final examinations, including translating from Persian to English as well. The results also found a difference between the expectations of male and female students, with female students having higher expectations than male students. There was no significant difference among the students of the three program groups (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy) for total expectations or evaluation. However, there was a significant difference between the medical and pharmacy students.

Measuring student expectations is a critical factor in addressing English language learning, including professors’ knowledge and interest, of students’ various abilities in English for specific purposes (ESP).

Incivility or challenging behaviors in the scientific environment are so harmful that they cannot be neglected. Therefore, these behaviors should be addressed promptly and effectively. The aim of this study was to identify challenging behaviors from other behaviors and evaluate the severity of these behaviors from the viewpoint of university professors in medical students.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 110 faculty members in Faculty of Medicine of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. To identify challenging behaviors from other behaviors, the majority (>50%) was considered. Also, to determine the challenging intensity of each behavior, behaviors that had higher scores were regarded as very high challenging behaviors.

Based on the review of external and internal resources and the viewpoints of professors,32 behaviors were prepared in the form of a checklist for the faculty members to identify the challenge and severity of it. Behaviors such as student insolence, disturbance of class order, and non-respect of rules, as well as disruptive behavior with professors were recognized as the most challenging behaviors. Regarding the intensity of the student incivility, the disruptive behavior with professors, the non-customary jokes, the disruptive behavior with students, and the lack of compliance with the charter of patient rights were considered as very high incivility.

Students’ challenging behaviors interferes in their own learning, others’ learning,staff as well as other individuals’ rights, and order and security of educational environment.Professors and instructors ought to identify these behaviors and manage them.

The proper levels of critical thinking (CT) and professional self-concept (PSC) both have key roles in the academic achievements of nursing students. The present study was conducted to examine a possible correlation between PSC and CT.

This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 154 eligible nursing students, selected through the stratified random sampling technique. For this purpose, two instruments were utilized: the Persian version of nurses’ self-concept questionnaire and Ricketts’ Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment Scale. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to analyze data using SPSS 16.

Although levels of CT vary in different semesters, the correlation coefficient between CT and PSC among nursing students was -0.46 (P<0.001). Therefore, there was a significant, inverse, moderate correlation between these two variables.

The correlation between the total scores of PSC and CT was significant and negative, indicating increasing professional self-concept in students decreases their levels of CT. It seems that modern teaching methods based on problem-solving are less used in nursing students’ education, which leads to greater development of CT. It is believed that other underlying factors may have contributed to the negative correlation between PSC and CT. Further studies in this regard are recommended.

Peer observation is one method of honing teaching skills by evaluating the presentation skills of others with a two-way process of improvement based on critical reflection.Structuring the process of peer observation helps identify gaps where individual students may err while teaching. The main aim of this initiative is to evaluate the quality of teaching among postgraduate students in one department using the principles of peer, near-peer, and faculty observation.

Structured peer observation of postgraduate seminars was conducted where students’teaching skills were critically commented upon by peers, near-peers, and faculty. Measurements included perceived confidence of students in the feedback process, self-appraisal of competence in selected teaching behaviours and participants’ attitude towards the process of observation using quantitative methodologies. The results were analysed using descriptive statistical methods and expressed as measures of central tendency.

Overall outcomes were highly positive in terms of confidence and appraisal abilities of students in the feedback process. The attitudinal perceptions of students were also positive.

Using feedback from peer and near-peer evaluation, students can develop the teaching skills which will later manifest as beneficial teaching practices in long run. By repeatedly observing and then enacting teaching practices, the gap existing between the current state and the desired state of performance can be reduced.

Designing and conducting residency exams have been the province of type I universities since 2005, based on the plans of the Medical Education Council. This study compared emergency medical residency pre-board and board exam results among the universities of medical sciences in Iran.

This cross-sectional descriptive study consisted of 600 questions from residency preboard exams and 150 questions from board exams in 2013-2014, as well as 600 questions from residency promotion exams and 150 questions from the board exam in 2013-2014 and 2014- 2015 at the Tabriz, Shahid Beheshti, Mashhad, and Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences. All questions were at the level I through III by Bloom’s taxonomy. Structural principles were evaluated using Millman’s checklist. All data were analyzed using SPSS 18 with chi-square tests.

The mean percent of more contextualized questions of the questions at Bloom’s taxonomy levels II and III in residency pre-board exam questions was 76.6% in 2013-2014 and 86.6% in 2014-2015 among the four universities. In terms of structural principles, the percentage of board exam questions that aligned with Millman’s structural principles was 100.0% and 99.3% in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively. For the residency pre-board exam in 2014- 2015, the mean discrimination index was 0.14 (low), and the mean of the difficulty factor was 0.64 (appropriate).

Questions at Bloom’s taxonomy levels II and III were higher in 2014-2015 in comparison to those in 2013-2014, and the percentage of the correctly-structured questions was high and did not significantly change from 2013-2014 in comparison to that of 2014-2015.

From a medical graduate perspective, the field of medicine is quite complex: graduates will encounter a wide range of healthcare scenarios to which they must respond using a professional,competent and skillful approach. Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) tools are a unique form of assessment to evaluate the performance of the medical student in the workplace in real time and has been linked with multiple benefits. However, adoption of WPBA by medical colleges has not been uniform owing to multiple challenges related to feasibility, students and faculty members. In order to facilitate the successful implementation of WPBA tools, medical educators must work as a team in a coordinated manner and ensure that all the stakeholders are part of the process. In conclusion, WPBA have a special role in the making of a competent and professional health care professional. However, the process of employing WPBA tools is a challenging task and its use requires us to be thoughtful and planned in our approach to accomplish the intended learning outcomes.

Community-based dental education helps nurture a generation of dentists who pay more attention to community needs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the viewpoints of dental students about a community-based dentistry course conducted at the Dental School of the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj.

In all, 36 senior dentistry students provided children aged 6 to 14 from an underprivileged background with care and preventive services under the indirect supervision of a dental instructor. At the end of the course in May 2018, individual and group interviews were conducted to obtain students’ viewpoints on the course. The collected data was categorized and analyzed using MAXQDA 10. Testing of acceptability, dependability, stability, verifiability, fittingness and transferability criteria were applied to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the qualitative data.

The results were categorized into two main themes: weaknesses and strengths of the clinical experience. Four main categories of the course’s strengths were identified: personal development, deeper understanding of oral health in the community, becoming familiar with executive and managerial systems, and payment and financial issues. Three main categories of the course’s weaknesses were identified: executive problems, issues around coordination and planning, and limiting coverage of the dental services provided to Levels I and II.

The most important aspects of these courses from the students’ viewpoints were providing the opportunity to individual and professional development and gaining a broader perspective on preventive dentistry.

Although challenging, writing prescriptions is an essential practical competency of medical graduates. This process is transformative as it reflects medical students’ ways of thinking and practising. A conceptual framework, similar to "way of thinking and practising", known as ‘threshold concepts’ can help students to establish meaningful connections between the transformative and conceptually difficult ideas underlying prescription writing. This enables them to think, practice and demonstrate the competence required for rational drug prescription conducive to effective pharmacotherapeutic care.

A narrative review was conducted on a subset of articles retrieved during the course of an another literature review using four bibliographic databases from 15th August to 15th September 2019. The literature review is focussed on instructional interventions and their impact on university-level students learning pharmacology. Seminal papers on threshold concepts were also included to draw a comparison between prescription writing and key attributes of the threshold concepts framework.

An alignment supported by examples was observed between different aspects and challenges of prescription writing and key attributes of the threshold concept framework.

Using the threshold concepts framework as a lens in prescription writing offers an insight to the curriculum designers employing it as a pedagogical utility in transforming medical students’ way of thinking and practising for rational prescribing. Moreover, it also informs the likelihood of unidentified threshold concepts for beginners within the course of prescription writing.

The mentorship system faces many challenges in implementation for various reasons. This study examines challenges of the mentorship system and provides solutions.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in three stages at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2016. First, in order to determine the current status of the mentorship system, the existing documents in the faculties and the collection of information from the mentor, educational deputies and group managers and experts, as well as students were used. Sampling of mentors, deputies and department managers and experts of the counseling system was conducted by census and randomly for students. In order to determine the challenges in the mentorship system, a focused group discussion session was held with the presence of faculty mentors who had at least two years of experience as mentors and educational deputies. Finally, in order to provide corrective measures to improve the quality of the system, a meeting was held with the participants who attended the group discussion session of the second stage of the study. To analyze the information in the quantitative part of the study, descriptive statistics were used through SPSS 17 software and to analyze the information related to the group discussion sessions, content analysis was used.

The current situation of the mentorship system in all faculties at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences was considered in terms of students and identified indicators with an average of 47.9 in the average range. The highest score obtained for the item "the formation of a file for each student with the confidentiality of personal, educational, social and economic information" had an average of 59.3 and the lowest score was seen for the item "holding regular counseling sessions" with an average of 36.4. Analysis of data from a focused group discussion led to the identification of three main themes: organizational challenges, challenges related to professors active in the mentorship system, and challenges related to students. In addition, 18 solutions to the challenges were presented.

Despite the success and relative satisfaction with the mentorship system, there are challenges in several dimensions. Fortunately, the challenges in this area were such that it was possible to resolve them within the organization, and appropriate solutions were provided to solve each of the challenges, which are discussed in the text of the article.

The significance of strategy use in writing is well established. However, particular strategy types which different learners can use in different contexts provides invaluable insights for the stakeholders. The current study examined the frequency of cognitive strategy use in writing as well as the quality of writing produced by language learners at different levels of proficiency (high or low) and from different language backgrounds (Turkish-Persian or Persian).

For this study, 176 Iranian learners of English were divided into bilingual (n=91) and monolingual (n=85) categories and participants were placed at high (n=95) or low (n=81) proficiency levels based on their scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered for placement purposes. The research data was collected through writing cognitive strategy questionnaire and argumentative writing samples.

The results of ANOVA and Mann-Whitney tests revealed that (1) language background and proficiency level could jointly affect the frequency of cognitive strategy use, (2) could each influence the quality of the written products on its own, and (3) the strongest relationship between cognitive strategy use and writing quality existed among the bilingual participants with high language proficiency.

Knowing a second language may increase learners’ use of writing cognitive strategies, thereby enhancing the quality of their writing. These findings could prove useful for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers and content developers.

Health professions students often experience stress and potential burnout while completing their entry-to-practice education; therefore, detecting and monitoring burn out among these students is paramount. This study compared motivation domains and determined the relationship between motivation and academic burnout among students of the Dental Faculty at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

This analytical study was conducted longitudinally with dental students at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences beginning from 2012, the first semester of the participating first-year students and then in the final semester when the same students graduated in 2017.All students (N = 110) were invited to participate. Academic motivation was assessed using the Valler and Academic Motivation Scale. Comparison between first and last semester motivation scores and the relationship between academic motivation level and burnout subscales was determined using independent t-tests and Pearson’s correlation coefficient tests. SPSS was used for the statistical analysis; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Gender had a statistically significant effect on extrinsic motivation and a motivation: in both the first and last semesters, male students were less extrinsically motivated (P < 0.05).Pearson’s correlation coefficient test found a significant inverse correlation between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of students in their final semester and the academic efficacy (EF)subscale (r = -0.25, P = 0.015; r = -0.21, P = 0.03, respectively).

Results showed that although there was a decrease in motivation level, students had high motivation and low burnout level in their final semester compared to their first semester. Extrinsic motivation was higher than intrinsic at both stages

Educational environment is related to the learning achievement to assess and certify knowledge, ability to practice the medicine profession of residents very much. The Anesthetic Trainee Theatre Educational Environment Measure (ATEEM) instrument is designed for assessing the perception of the educational environment of anesthesiology residents. The purpose of this research was to develop a Thai version of the ATEEM instrument to be used for effective evaluation in Thailand.

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in order to assess the applicability of the Thai version of the ATEEM instrument with 170 anesthesiology residents. The questionnaire was assessed for reliability using coefficient of internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha and split-half reliability. The item-objective congruence (IOC) index and item content validity index (I-CVI) were calculated for content validity. Student’s t test was used to compare residents’ perceived scores between sexes and age groups.

In all, 95 of 170 anesthesiology residents completed questionnaires in the inventory (a response rate of 55.9%). The overall mean ATEEM score was 122.9/160 (76.8%), which indicated more positive than negative perceptions. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.931, and five subdomains had Cronbach’s alphas greater than 0.7, indicating acceptable reliability. Split-half reliability was 0.95. All items had range values for IOC and I-CVI between 0.67 -1.00, and S-CVI/Ave was 0.98.

The Thai version of the educational environment questionnaire showed that acceptable reliability and validity, indicating it can be used for appropriate and accurate assessment of the perception of Thai anesthesiology residents. ATEEM is a culture independent questionnaire that can be used with both anesthesiology residents and medical students who study in the operating room without specific restrictions or effects from nation or culture.

The academic level of each society is assessed through the level of its students’ education. Students need to update their knowledge based on the latest achievements obtained throughout the world. What can serve this purpose is “language” as a key instrument.

The current mixed methods study reviewed attitudes of Iranian medical sciences students towards learning English Language with a focus on their identity type. To this end, 372 students of medical sciences (medical, paramedical, and nursery and midwifery) completed two questionnaires and participated in a semi-structured interview investigating participants’ attitudes toward language learning.

The results indicate that the students had a considerable appreciation for the English language, particularly in enhancing job opportunities for them in the future and helping them to keep up with technological developments in the world. Moreover, the English language was considered a way of feeling more confident and enriching their intercultural horizons in establishing interpersonal skills. There were also tendencies towards the English language as a prestigious language with a high social level and a channel to have good relationships with other people in their field. To some extent, they knew English as the transmission of professional knowledge providing academic support; foursome of them, it was considered just a university course to pass. It was also realized that the differences in their perceptions were not affected by their identity type, suggesting a unique path of identity type and certain attitudes for students of medical sciences.

In brief, with the English language considered as a growing global status and the increasing interpretation of the impact that these shifts have on attitudes towards learning the English language, there is a need for theoretical and practical exploration of learners ‘attitudes towards the English language.

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a curriculum based on educational neuroscience on improving academic achievement in elementary students with mathematical learning disorder in Shiraz.

This is a quasi-experimental research which was done on students with math learning disabilities from grades two to six in Shiraz District 2 and 4. 47 students fulfill the inclusion criteria, due to the exclusion criteria 31 students enrolled in the study. They are randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. All of them completed the pre and post-test training in the control group was based on the traditional teaching style and the curriculum patterns that were implemented. The training in the experimental group was based on educational neuroscience curriculum model. Differences are considered statistically significant at P≤0.05 and 95% confidence interval of the difference is considered.

The results showed that the mean of the control and experimental groups in numerical understanding variable was respectively: 28.60 and 36.87, in numerical production variable was: 15.13 and 20.06, in numerical calculation variable was: 8.80 and 13.62. The level of significance in the group in all three variables of numerical understanding, numerical production and numerical calculation was 0.001, which means that the experimental group performed better in the post-test than the control group.

Educational neuroscience interventions such as the underlying math learning skills can be an effective approach in the treatment of math learning disabilities, the use of this curriculum has also directly improved attention structures and indirectly improved learning disabilities.

Pharmacology is a core and prerequisite course in major medical fields. In many academic centers, it is provided as a teacher-centered lecture course. In this article, I present twelve tips to help pharmacology teachers have more vital pharmacology classes. The tips are most useful for teachers who teach pharmacology as a traditional “preclinical” discipline and use lecturing as their main teaching method. Some of the tips presented can also be used for teaching in other lecture-based courses.

Research and research skills of faculty members are essential for the development of higher education and sustainable development. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop needs assessment of faculty members in research at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018. Of 848 faculty members at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, 262 members participated in the study, determined based on Morgan’s table. A researcher-created questionnaire with 5-point Likert-type closed-ended questions was used for collecting data. Validity and reliability were determined with content and construct validity and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. Data were analyzed with Pearson’s chi-square and one-way ANOVA using SPSS 22.

Factor analysis showed that the educational needs of the faculty members in research at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences can be classified into eight topics that were not different in terms of the academic rank, but there was a significant difference in terms of gender and faculties. Faculty members in the pharmacy, dentistry and nursing faculties reported higher educational needs than the faculty in medicine and other faculties.

The results showed that women reported higher educational needs, differing across faculties. It is suggested that research management training courses be prioritized, and key reasons or factors influencing the research in the faculties of dentistry, pharmacy and nursing be investigated.

The world surrounding human beings perpetually undergoes transformations and the universities are not an exception in this regard. The condition for survival amid this is to identify and control these transformations and the science that can assist human beings in this respect is “Futures Study” whose goal is to eliminate the ambiguity of the future, to establish the opportunities for certain future and, increase human control over the future. This issue is much more tangible than ever in medical universities dealing with the public health of the society and it is required to highly focus on their quantitative development.

The present study is a mixed-method study carried out in the medical universities of Iran in 2018-2019. First, in the qualitative approach, the components and indicators of the health professional education’s quantitative development have been identified by the classical Delphi method according to targeted sampling from ten experts with content analysis that was identified and coded. In the quantitative approach, having analyzed the indicators using Scenario Wizard software, several scenarios have been designed for the quantitative development of education.

The study findings suggest that at least 6 components and 32 indicators can be introduced in the quantitative development of medical science education, on which some robust scenarios can be considered for futures including the optimistic, intermediary, and pessimistic ones.

This study directs the researchers toward the quantitative development components and the indicators of medical science education in Iran and how they can be exploited to realize promising futures.