Educational Research in Medical Sciences
Volume:9 Issue: 1, Jun 2020

Given the importance of learning from both cognitive and non-cognitive aspects of development in medical science education, the selection of appropriate educational strategies is a key structural issue. The jigsaw method is used in cooperative learning to improve cognitive and non-cognitive skills.

The present study aimed to investigate the status of the jigsaw method as a cooperative learning technique.

This was a review and meta-analysis, in which relevant studies were identified through electronic database searching using specific keywords. The inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis were experimental and quasi-experimental studies. The intervention involved the comparison of the jigsaw method to other methods, and various cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes were assessed. The meta-analysis to determine the summary estimation using comprehensive meta-analysis software was performed using the fixed model method. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated based on the I2 index.

From the extracted studies (n = 682) with various stages of investigation in the target databases and exclusion of the repetitive cases, 10 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria, and seven articles with common outcomes were selected for the meta-analysis. The summary estimate of 1.29 (95% CI: 1.07 - 1.51) was calculated, and many outcomes were individually interpreted.

The national literature review indicated that the jigsaw method is rarely used in medical education. Considering the impact of this approach on cognitive and non-cognitive skills, the necessary cooperative learning approaches should be developed in the medical education system.

One of the strategic requirements of any organization is to have a plan for the replacement of managers, the process of which is known as succession management. Universities also need succession management.

The present study aimed to propose a valid model for succession management in medical universities.

This qualitative study was conducted with a mixed sequential exploratory design in three stages. In the first stage, 29 articles were reviewed, and in the second stage, 12 semi-structured interviews were encoded with open, axial, and selective coding. The quantitative section was performed using 205 researcher-made questionnaires.

In total, 30 components emerged as the paradigmatic model. Some components have been reported in previous studies, and the most important dimensions emphasized by the faculty members in this study included managerial skills, senior management beliefs, the complexity of the environment, intradepartmental interactions, extracurricular pressures, organizational misconduct, the crisis of capable executives, provincial indigenous management, intra-university administrators, non-competitive rewards, physical and mental fitness, academic independence, use of scientific models, and promotion of the counseling culture. These components were related to the central issue of the organizational influential factors in succession management.

According to the results, organizational factors such as merit-based human resource management, organizational culture, knowledge-based management, and the use of scientific models played a key role in the establishment of succession management in medical universities due to their impact on preparation, facilitation, and motivation.

Team-based learning (TBL) is an active and participatory learning process, which is used to train students on health topics.

The present study aimed to assess the effect of TBL in teaching a medical physics course on the poor performance of the students.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 28 medical students at Qom University of Medical Sciences, Iran who were unable to pass the medical physics course in the past semesters. At the beginning the 10-session course, eight questions with four options were provided to the students, and the students had to answer the questions individually within a specified time. After collecting the questionnaire responses, participants were divided into six groups and completed the same test as a team. Afterwards, each question was displayed on a smart board and discussed.

After the procedures of the study, all the participants successfully completed the medical physics course. At the end of the course, 90% of the students reported that the TBL method was more appropriate than lecture, and 80% of the students believed that the TBL method encouraged them to participate in the learning process. In the final exam, the scores of the students in the medical physics course increased by 3.95 ± 2.09 units with the TBL method compared to the prior course, and the difference was considered significant (P < 0.01).

According to the results, the implementation of TBL in the medical physics course improved the learning motivation, satisfaction, and mean scores of the students with poor performance.

Evaluation is an inherent element of the teaching-learning process and is influenced by several factors.

The present study aimed to identify the influential factors in the effective implementation of evaluation in the teaching-learning process in the Iranian higher education system.

This study was conducted using the synthesis method and a qualitative approach. The sample population included all the national studies focused on the influential factors in the evaluation of the teaching-learning process during 2000 - 2018. In total, 36 studies were selected, and after several screening stages, 10 studies that were more relevant to the subject matter were selected as the research sample based on the review of the titles, abstracts, and research content. The database search was performed using keywords such as ‘factors/indicators affecting the evaluation of students’ and ‘teachers/implementation of evaluation’. The databases included CIVILICA, Magiran, Elmnet, Noormags, and SID. The research data were extracted and analyzed using the content analysis method.

After data analysis, the influential factors in the implementation of evaluation were classified into two dimensions, five factors, and 29 indicators, including the structural dimension (conditions and environment of evaluation, educational system, and evaluation system) and behavioral dimension (teachers and students).

The results of the data analysis led to the identification of the influential factors in the effective implementation of the teaching-learning process evaluation in the Iranian higher education system as a model.

The management of educational organizations is particularly sensitive since it deals with the professors and students who play a strategic role in the community.

The present study aimed to determine the satisfaction level of the faculty members with the current status of executive processes and performance of medical school departments regarding service provision.

This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2018. The sample population included the faculty members of the clinical and basic sciences departments. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on the previous studies. Data analysis was performed using t-test and chi-square, and the data were expressed as mean, standard deviation, numbers, and percentages.

Among 187 faculty members, 55 (29.4%) were in the basic sciences department, 132 cases were in the clinical departments, and 65.24% were male. The mean age of the professors was 42.84 ± 5.52 years (range: 30 - 60 years). The mean work experience was 10 years (range: 1 - 30 years), and the academic rank was mainly assistant professor (65.8%) and associate professor (27.3%), with the majority (45.6%) having formal and formal-experiential employment. Management experience at the faculty or university level was 34.6%, while it was 28.9% at the department level. The satisfaction of the faculty members with the performance of the medical school units was favorable, with the highest satisfaction rate belonging to the research units and the lowest belonging to the service units.

According to the results, the satisfaction of the faculty members with the provided services in the educational, research, and administrative-financial units of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences was favorable despite the difference between these units in this regard.

Clinical assessment in medicine is a pillar of education, which should measure the competence and practical abilities of medical students. The viewpoint of students as one of the most important stakeholders in clinical assessment could guide planners in problem-solving and proper corrective actions.

The present study aimed to investigate the influential factors in the performance of medical students in the clinical competency exam.

This qualitative study was conducted using the directed content analysis approach during 2018 - 2019. The sample population included 10 medical students of internship at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in Isfahan, Iran. The participants were selected via purposive sampling. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed in the MAXQDA 10 software.

The students mentioned several influential factors in their performance on the competency exam. Their viewpoints were divided into seven categories, including content and resources, pre-exam requirements, time, cases (scenarios), stations, examiners, and the role of the clinical training course.

Similar to other clinical exams, the clinical competency exam has some drawbacks despite its positive aspects, which may affect the performance of students. Several factors could influence the performance of students in this exam, and the contribution of these factors and their impact on the performance of students vary. Therefore, special attention should be paid to these factors to help officials and policymakers in future planning and improving the quality of these exams.

Educational multimedia software as a student-oriented educational tool provides an optimal educational condition, which allows students to view surgical videos and photographs and fill the gap between theoretical and practical training.

The present study aimed to compare the effects of multimedia tools and traditionalmethods on the neuroscience learning of the undergraduate students of surgical technology in Hamedan, Iran.

This quasi-experimental, interventional study was conducted on 32 undergraduate students of four surgical technology courses, who were selected via convenience sampling. Neurosurgery sessions were divided into two parts, including traditional and multimedia-based education, which were used to teach the multimedia software in the field of neurosurgical topics (movies, photographs, and atlases). The learning of the students was measured by a written test. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 23 using t-test, and paired t-test was also used to compare the differences between the traditional and multimedia education.

The multimedia education was more effective compared to the traditional method of learning in neurosurgery education (P < 0.001).

According to the results, multimedia education could be used as a new and effective educationalmethod in operating surgical technology and training.