نشریه پژوهش در آموزش علوم پزشکی
سال هفدهم شماره 1 (بهار 1404)

Dear Editor Academic development has been a major topic of discussion in higher education in the United States since the 1960s (1). According to a comprehensive study of 190 higher education institutions from 1965 to 1985, faculty evaluation of faculty was considered one of the most common vitality strategies (2). The most frequent finding of this study was that faculty vitality programs followed by effective connection and continuity of faculty development with the mission and policies of the institution as a key issue. The role of faculty competence and the quality of teaching in training effective graduates is well-known. The European Union high level group on modernization of higher education  has identified the Assessment of teaching competence as a foundation for appointment and progression (3). Assessing the performance and excellence of faculty members, who are the core of university human resources, is a challenging issue. There are various criteria for this evaluation, which generally focus more on research performance, while the main objective of hiring faculty members has been the development of education. The common structure of academic scoring,  rewarding  research  More than teaching (4). The question now arises: "Can faculty members' research be related to student learning and improving the quality of education?" For example, would the teaching effectiveness of a faculty member with 20 articles be twice as effective as that of another with 10 articles? Different variables affect this issue, for example learner surveys (older studies) (5), learning outcomes (newer studies) (6), the type and number of universities studied (research-oriented or teaching-oriented), the presence of top researchers, other capabilities of the faculty member, and the existence of standardized data for learning outcomes at different levels of higher education. In summary, if education in research-based universities lacks the necessary status and credibility, the relationship between research output and education quality will not be positive. Moreover, the cultural climate of the university affects the excellence of education. Medical education has undergone significant changes in recent years owing to advances in medical knowledge, changes in healthcare delivery systems, patients' needs and expectations, and the emergence of new learning technologies, which have consequently transformed the role of medical educators (7). Therefore, a scientific approach is needed to evaluate educational performance, as outlined by Harden (8). Education, or the art of teaching, is a complex combination of knowledge and art that must be purposefully defined in terms of its acquisition and criteria for excellence (9). According to the model presented by Harden, educational excellence is equal to the product of three components: 1) technical skills, 2) approach to teaching , and 3) professional competence. Excellence Score = Technical Skills × approach to teaching × Professional Competence The multiplication method was chosen because the presence of competence in all three areas is mandatory, meaning that the absence of competence in one area makes the result equale to  zero. Technical skills include information provider, role model facilitator, evaluating, curriculum planning , educational resource developer; approach to teaching  includes following scientific principles, professional attitude and ethics, decision-making, and teamwork; professional competence (personal development) consists of skill development and scientific promotion, professionalism, self-audit, portfolio, commitment, and research (Figure 1). To score these criteria, a methodology is needed that clearly and quantifiably specifies the details of each component and the scoring (10, 11). For example, the score for each variable or educational activity can be calculated as follows:Score for each educational activity (G) = Number of activities completed in a semester (n) × Calculated quality factor of the educational activity (q) Finally, it should be noted that the professors' approach to education and their associated responsibilities should not be considered a daily task, but rather, on the path to a higher rank, the passion for education is also internalized, and the belief in its positive impact on students and its social benefits becomes evident. Of course, achieving excellence in education, which has various dimensions, requires teamwork and convergence to accurately determine it and is closely related to university policies and strategies and allocated resources (12). The fundamental changes in medical education in recent years and the existence of a clear roadmap in the world's top universities necessitate a rapid review of the mission of the country's universities. This review should be carried out with a comprehensive view of academic resources and products, including skilled personnel and scientific products in conjunction with the industry, in order to provide the necessary conditions for the continued dynamism and survival of universities in the era of digital technologies.

In the medical education environment, ensuring and continuously improving quality has become an indispensable necessity. This technical note examines the internal evaluation process of residency training programs at the school of medicine of Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 14 steps. The primary objective of this study is to identify strengths and weaknesses in these educational programs and to provide actionable recommendations for enhancing educational quality. The findings of this evaluation can serve as a foundation for improving both processes and policies at the level of specialty groups and the university as a whole.

Academic boredom is a prevalent issue in educational settings, affecting a significant proportion of students, therefore, Identifying its underlying factors is crucial. This study aimed to predict academic boredom among medical students based on their perceptions of classroom goal structure and task value.

This is a cross-sectional correlational study. The statistical population included all medical students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences during the year 2024, from which 435 students were selected through stratified random sampling. Participants completed Midgley’s Perceived Classroom Goal Structure Questionnaire, Pintrich’s Task Value Scale, Pekrun’s Academic Boredom Questionnaire, Li’s Trait Boredom Scale, and a demographic questionnaire form. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis.

The results showed that after controlling for the effects of age, gender, and students' trait boredom, the variables of task value (β=-0.270, P<0.001) and mastery-oriented goal structure (β=-0.239, P<0.001) were negatively and significantly associated with academic boredom, while performance-avoidance goal structure (β=0.111, P=0.029) was positively and significantly particioated academic boredom in students. Overall, 32.3% of the variance in students' academic boredom was explained by the model.

The findings of this study suggest that a mastery-oriented classroom goal structure and students' perceptions of intrinsic task value can help reduce academic boredom. In contrast, a performance-avoidance goal structure may increase academic boredom. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing educational strategies that highlight the intrinsic value of tasks and promote mastery goals rather than focusing on competition and failure avoidance, thereby contributing to reducing academic boredom and enhancing the educational experience of medical students.

Since the educational curriculum is one of the main fields of education, it is necessary to use the best methods in design, implementation, and evaluation of its activities. One of the methods to maintain and improve the quality of education, in line with global growth, is the continuous evaluation of education and its related elements. Therefore, the present study investigates the opinions of the faculty members of Yazd Dental School regarding the general dentistry curriculum and the way it has been implemented.

In this qualitative study, the required data was collected through semi-structured face- to-face interviews with the Dentistry Faculty Members (n=18), including 10 females and 8 males. After recording, the interviews were transcribed. Sentences from the text of the interviews related to the purpose of the study were extracted and classified. Data analysis was performed using theme analysis method.

By analyzing the content of the data extracted themes included the comprehensiveness of the curriculum, attention to need assessments and addition of new courses, inappropriate timing, lack of flexibility and lack of full implementation of the curriculum for reasons such as lack of facilities and educational spaces.

In addition to the positive effects created by the curriculum revisions, significant challenges still remain and it seems that to improve the education of general dental doctorate students, it is better to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current curriculum. Then, by providing infrastructures, educational spaces, facilities, and specialized human resources , the future revisions of the curriculum could be done to maintain and strengthen positive points, and eliminate the weaknesses.

Students as highly sensitive groups in society are exposed to psycho-social harm due to different reasons, such as lack of necessary ability to confront life problems. The present study aimed to assess students’ life skills status in Maragheh and Tabriz Universities of Medical Sciences.

In this cross-sectional study (from 2021-2022), 800 students from Tabriz and Maragheh Universities of Medical Sciences (400 from each university) voluntarily participated. The status of life skills (including self-awareness, empathy, effective communication and interpersonal relationships, emotion management and coping with stress, problem solving and decision-making, critical thinking, and creative thinking) was assessed by a 162-item questionnaire scored based a Likert scale from 1-6 (the most preferred option, score 6 and the most unfavorable option, score 1). The content validity of the questionnaire was 0.79 and its reliability was very good (Cronbach's alpha 0.88). Data were analyzed using t-test, chi-square, linear regression, and analysis of variance in SPSS software (version 27).

The level of self-awareness skill, emotion management and coping with stress skills were lower than other skills among students. Age demonstrated a significant relationship  with emotion management, coping with stress, and creative thinking. The skills of self-awareness, empathy, effective communication, interpersonal relationships, emotion management, dealing with stress, problem solving, and decision-making were higher among female students. In all life skills, the level of PhD and associate degree students was higher than others; nonetheless, there was no significant relationship between any of the educational levels and the level of skills.

based on findings,  greater attention to improving students' awareness of life skills is necessary. This study can help university administrators to identify the students with low levels of life skills in order to design and implement appropriate strategic programs, such as developing and presenting related course units, holding educational workshops, lectures, and conferences to increase the level of life skills of students of Maragheh and Tabriz Universities of Medical Sciences.

Due to the importance of reading reference books in learning and fully understanding academic concepts, this study aimed to assess the changes in the knowledge level of undergraduate audiology students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, through book reading sessions.

In this developmental study, book reading sessions were designed and implemented based on the five-stage Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (ADDIE) model. Three chapters from the Handbook of Clinical Audiology were studied over eight two-hour weekly sessions on the Skyroom platform. A knowledge assessment questionnaire was completed by students before and after each chapter. Additionally, students filled out a satisfaction form at the end of each session. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon test.

Ten out of 22 fifth-semester Undergraduate Students in Audiology participated in the present study. A comparison of students' pre- and post-session scores using the Wilcoxon test indicated a significant difference in their scores for all three chapters studied: Chapter One (P=0.005), Chapter Two (P=0.004), and Chapter Three (P=0.004). The mean difference in students' knowledge scores (out of 5 points) before and after the reading sessions was 2.9, 3.2, and 3.5 for the first, second, and third chapters, respectively. The overall mean satisfaction score for the book reading sessions was 4.7±0.48 out of 5.

The present study demonstrated that book reading sessions significantly enhanced students' foundational knowledge of the topics covered in all three chapters of the audiology reference book. Additionally, students expressed a high level of satisfaction with these sessions. Therefore, this method can encourage students to read reference books.

Talented students, being perceived as individuals capable of performing tasks better than others and making significant contributions toward solving environmental, societal, and national challenges, are considered valuable human resources in any society. The present study aimed to identify the factors influencing the academic performance of talented students.

The methodological approach of this study was qualitative, and the adopted research method was the seven-step meta-synthesis approach by Sandelowski and Barroso.The researchers conducted a systematic search of studies related to these factors in academic databases, such as the Scientific Information Database (SID), Noormags, Magiran, the Comprehensive Humanities Portal, Civilica, and Elmnet. The search spanned the years 2006-2024 using keywords, such as "talented students," "academic performance of gifted students," and "factors influencing the academic performance of talented students." In the initial review, 136 references were identified. After screening and validation steps and using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool, a total of 32 studies were analyzed through thematic analysis. To assess the quality or reliability of the indicators, the Kappa coefficient in IBM SPSS Statistics Software Version 26 was utilized, which in this study was calculated as 0.813, indicating a satisfactory reliability level for the indicators used.

From the content analysis of the selected sources, 240 initial codes were extracted, encompassing 16 sub-themes. These sub-themes were organized into four main themes: individual factors (demographic characteristics, cognitive and psychological components, motivational traits, attitudinal traits, behavioral traits, family characteristics and conditions); organizational factors (organizational culture and climate, intra- and inter-university interactions, characteristics of the university of study); supportive factors (support and backing from the community, support and backing from the government, support and backing from the university); educational factors (development of student talent and abilities, educational strategies, development of educational content, educational facilities and resources)

The factors affecting the academic performance of talented students are multidimensional. In addition to the individual characteristics of the student, they are also influenced by factors at the university and social environment. Therefore It is recommended that educational administrators and planners, considering the individual, organizational, supportive, and educational factors affecting the performance of talented students, which were explained in this study, provide a suitable platform for the advancement and improvement of these students' academic performance in universities.

In modern educational systems, one of the primary objectives of higher education institutions is the achievement of the highest quality of education. One of the areas affecting the quality of education in medical universities is learning practical and professional skills. Practical skills training in medical universities prepares students for society, exerting a marked impact on public health. Therefore, the present study aimed to explain the quality status of practical courses from the experiences of students at the School of Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.

This qualitative study was conducted on the 30 students of the School of Health at Hamedan University of Medical Sciences in the second semester of the academic year 2023-2024. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with students. Participants were selected via the purposive sampling method and after obtaining informed consent, they participated in the study. The interviews continued until the data were saturated. Data analysis was performed using the Diekelmann and colleagues method. To increase the credibility and reliability of the results, Lincoln and Guba’s methods were employed.

 The factors affecting the quality of practical course education from the students’ perspective were identified in six main themes: managerial skills (five categories), educational infrastructure (four categories), educational coordination (eight categories), communication-interaction skills (four categories), interdepartmental interaction (two categories), and faculty empowerment (two categories).

 As evidenced by the obtained results, managerial skills and mastery of the subject by professors, modern educational infrastructure, professor's connection with the industry, and coordination between theoretical and practical courses are the key factors in improving the quality of practical course education. Furthermore, attention to staff behavior and the development of a supportive and coordinated educational environment help increase students’ motivation and satisfaction.