مجله ایرانی آموزش در علوم پزشکی
سال دوازدهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 41، خرداد 1391)

Access to the medical education resources on the web is one of current challenges for researchers and medical science educators. The purpose of current project was to design and implement a comprehensive and specific subject/web directory of medical education. First, the categories to be incorporated in the directory were defined through reviewing related directories and obtaining medical education experts’ opinions in a focus group. Then, number of sources such as (Meta) search engines, subject directories, databases and library catalogs searched/browsed for selecting and collecting high quality resources. Finally, the website was designed and the resources were entered into the directory. The main categories incorporating WDME resources are: Journals, Organizations, Best Evidence in Medical Education, and Textbooks. Each category is divided into sub-categories and related resources of each category are described shortly within it. The resources in this directory could be accessed both by browsing and keyword searching. WDME is accessible on http://medirectory.org. The innovative Web Directory for Medical Education (WDME) presented in this paper, is more comprehensive than other existing directories, and expandable through user suggestions. It may help medical educators to find their desirable resources more quickly and easily; hence have more informed decisions in education. The full text of this paper has been already published in English in Med. Arh.2012. Vol 66 (issue 2), pp 133-136, and by kind permission from that journal, its full text in Persian is now published in Iranian Journal of Medical Education.

Students’ academic motivation is one of the most important challenges of universities, and has great effects on the outputs of educational systems. The aim of this study was to investigate of academic motivation status among students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS). In this descriptive- analytical study, 275 students of GOUMS were selected via stratified random sampling methods. Demographic data form and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) was used as data gathering tool. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test and one way ANOVA. In all tests, level of significance considered less than 0.05. Mean and standard deviation of students’ academic motivation was 151.43±20.69 (out of 196), and 53.3 percent of them had academic motivation scores higher than average. The mean of academic motivation among females were higher than that of males (P=0.02). Age had significant correlation with extrinsic motivation (r=-0.144, P=0.002), amotivation (r=-0.221, P=0.000) and total score of academic motivation scale (r=-0.191, P=0.002). Nursing and midwifery students had the highest academic motivation scores, and medicine and paramedical faculty students were in the next rank, the differences were statistically significant. According to the finding, academic motivation of students was almost desirable. However, the students’ intrinsic motivation was not in appropriate level, which necessitates planed educational interventions. It is suggested that educational systems pay further attention to individual and environmental factors that affect academic motivation.

Adjustment together with its different aspects is considered a basic and extensive issue in psychology. Therefore, identifying the related factors, while developing knowledge of the field, can help reduce individual and inter- individual problems. Hence, the aim of the present research is to investigate relationship between thinking styles and academic adjustment. This descriptive- correlatinal study was conducted on 65 nursing students in Islamic Azad University (Khoy branch) selected through cluster sampling. To gather the data, two standard questionnaires on thinking styles of Strenberg,Wagner and Zang and academic adjustment questionnaire of Baker and Siryak were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test and multiple regression. The results of Pearson correlation test showed that there were positive, significant relations between judiciary, executive, hierarchical, liberal, external and type I thinking styles with academic adjustment, while thinking style of anarchism showed a negative and significant relationship. The results of multiple regression indicated that type I thinking styles positively and type III thinking styles negatively predict academic adjustment. In general, 20.4% of variance for academic adjustment is explicable based on the preferred thinking styles. Also the academic adjustment of nursing students was above the average. There was a relationship between academic adjustment and the kind of thinking style. Also, one could predict nursing students’ academic adjustment by knowing their scores of type I and Type III thinking styles. Therefore, improvement and promotion of the academic adjustment of nursing students demands paying more attention to their type of thinking style.

Knowledge management as a new subject has created a new approach in facilitating education and research and providing more desirable services. Libraries and information centers in educational environments are the best places for implementing the knowledge management programs to improve education and research and share knowledge. The study aimed to investigate the status of knowledge management application in libraries of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on the Bukowitz and Williams’s model. This descriptive survey was conducted on all librarians working in libraries of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences (83 people) in the academic year 89-90. Data collection was via a researcher- made questionnaire which was constructed based on the components of the Bukowitz and Williams’s model, and its validity and reliability were confirmed. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used for data analysis. The mean score of knowledge management application in the academic libraries of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on Bukowitz and Williams’s model (2.82±. 477) was lower than the theoretical average. Also different components of knowledge management were not implemented equally. There was not a significant difference between mean scores of the subjects regarding demographic factors, i.e. gender, discipline, work experience, level of education, type of work, but there was a statistically significant difference between the score of “learning” according to the type of library (P<0/05). Most of the components depicted in Bukowitz and Williams’s model were lower than average, thus need more planning and attention, particularly knowledge sharing and knowledge creation components. Considering the increasing importance of knowledge in organizations such as universities and health environments where knowledge sharing is very important, implementing these programs will result in better services and thus facilitation of learning, education, and research.

Interest, motivation, and satisfaction toward job are the factors guarantee the success in occupation. Job satisfaction itself is influenced by social factors. The rising admission rates of dental schools have further increased the anxiety of their students in recent years. This investigation was conducted on dental students to assess their attitude toward future career and the discipline at the time of entrance and graduation. This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 140 dental students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences within academic years 2010-2011 using a questionnaire made by researcher. The items of the questionnaire were about students’ attitude toward their discipline and future career. Data was analyzed by Kolmograph-Smirnove, ANOVA, and t-test. The mean of total scores for the questionnaire related to student’s attitude toward their discipline (33.97+ 4.46) was higher than its theoretical mean score (27). The mean of total scores for the questionnaire related to student’s attitude toward their future career (16.42 +2.61) was lower than its theoretical mean (18). Investigating the difference between attitude toward discipline and future career among students of different semesters and age groups revealed no significant difference. Accordingly, no significant statistical difference was also realized between male and female students regarding the attitude toward discipline. But a statistically significant difference was observed between genders considering the attitude toward future career (P=0.037). This study showed that dental students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences are interested in their discipline whereas their attitude toward future career was not desirable. This represents their anxiety toward future career. The results of this study could be taken into consideration for future planning and therefore open up a brighter horizon for the future career of these students.

Cesarean section is growing increasingly in Iran. Therefore, it is necessary to find out an appropriate training method for encouraging pregnant women toward performing vaginal delivery. The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of two training methods including educational package plus group discussion, with educational package to encourage pregnant women for performing vaginal delivery. A quasi-experimental study was carried out on a sample of 100 pregnant women who referred to the obstetricians’ offices in Zahedan in 2011-12. Pregnant women included in study if they were in the third trimester of pregnancy with the intention or decision to elective cesarean section. After performing the pretests, they were voluntarily classified in one of the two educational groups including the educational package plus group discussion(group A), or educational package(group B). After a month of waiting time posttest was conducted. Data was analyzed using independent T, paired T and Chi-Square Tests. The Comparison of mean and standard deviation of knowledge scores between pregnant women in two groups showed no significant difference after training. However there was significant difference between attitude (p<0.05), perceived behavior control (p<0.001), behavioral intention (p<0.05), subjective norm and behavior (p<0.001) of women in two groups after training. Both methods increased knowledge of participants. In comparison group discussion method (group A) has more effectively increased other constructs of the model and significantly improved normal vaginal delivery behavior. This might be due to increased motivation, and decision making ability and skills of women experiencing group discussions.

Today, one of the main indicators in the assessment of development in countries is their share in producing knowledge. Thus, performance evaluation of educational units, which in turn leads to efficiency enhancement, has gained significant importance. This study examined the efficiency of educational departments in Kerman University of Medical Sciences through the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method.

This descriptive analytical study was done in 2010. A researcher-designed form was used for data collection, and data entry was done through Excel software. Finally, efficiency of the six departments was estimated by Deap 2.1 software.

The average of total efficiency, managerial efficiency and scale efficiency for departments was 0.847, 0.918 and 0.91, respectively. Half of the departments were functioning efficiently.

To achieve maximum efficiency (=1), departments should increase their research output through more research projects, articles or books. These departments should establish a long-term program to reduce training inputs (students) and funds based on the specified surplus amount.

Considering the impact of dissertations on students’ improvement in scientific knowledge and regarding the fact that methodology is the cornerstone of every research endeavor; the present study aimed to investigate the research methodology applied in dissertations of general dentistry students in School of Dentistry at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences which were accomplished throughout 2006 to 2008. Using census sampling, this cross-sectional study was conducted on 124 theses of general dentistry at Dentistry School of SUMS presented throughout 2006 to 2008. A researcher-made questionnaire was the data collection tool and the data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANNOVA, two-way ANNOVA, and Tukey test Findings showed two-thirds of the dissertations were cross-sectional studies, and analytical and intervention research studies accounted for a small proportion of the samples. Also, in none of the studies, the methodology had been thoroughly and properly explained. Given the results, more closely-monitored supervision is felt necessary. Workshops and pamphlets on scientific writing and research might also help raise students’ awareness on research writing patterns and procedures. Improving the quality of services provided by research counseling could be of further help in this regard.

Curriculum orientations are effective in curriculum success and failure. This study aimed to investigate faculties’ curriculum orientations based on gender, academic level and teaching approaches. This cross-sectional descriptive research was conducted in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011. The research population included the faculty of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. A sample size of 145 faculties teaching in Mashhad University of Medical Science completed the Mahlios curriculum orientation questionnaire. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, Pearson coefficient, and Tukey post-hoc tests. The findings showed that faculty preferred Behaviorism, Eclectic and Cognitive processes rather than Academic Rationalism, Social Reconstruction, Constructivism and Humanistic ones. We found significant differences between teachers’ curriculum orientation based on teaching approaches (face-to-face and virtual) and the faculty academic level. The instructors’ evaluation of humanistic orientation was higher than that of the professors’. Gender had no significance for curriculum orientation. There were significant correlations between all curriculum orientations. Considering importance of curriculum orientations in teaching and learning process, it is recommended that higher education administrators initiate measures to shift curriculum orientation toward humanistic and social constructivism.