Strides in Development of Medical Education Journal
Year:2017 | Volume:14 | Issue:1|Papers Count:9

Background and Objectives: Studying the factors affecting educational achievement is complicated as educational achievement is a multidimensional element and is delicately associated with physical, social, cognitive, and emotional growth of students. The current study aimed to predict educational achievements of students of medical professionals in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, based on learning styles and mediation by educational self-efficacy.Methods: The current correlational study was conducted cross-sectionally. The study population included all students of medical professionals in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, and, using Cochran’s formula, a total of 286 participants were selected by stratified random sampling. The Kolb learning style inventory and McIlroy and Bunting academic self-efficacy scale were used as data gathering tools. Current grade point average (GPA) was used to measure academic achievement. Data were analyzed using structural equations and model fitting indices in AMOS software.Results: According to the results of the current study, there was a structural relationship between the learning styles mediated by academic self-efficacy and academic achievements. Additionally, results of the current study indicated the fitness of the model in the study population.Conclusion: Results of the current study indicated the positive effect of different learning styles on academic achievements of students and that different learning styles can be employed to train students. On the other hand, the mediating role of academic achievements of students can enhance their academic achievements. By such methods, teachers can benefit from different educational strategies, and active learning occurs.

Background and Objective: The negative impact of anxiety on information seeking is of great importance and it has been studied in different ways worldwide. Based on the results of such studies, it is possible to identify different aspects of information seeking anxiety, to design different tools to assess it, to evaluate personal and social factors affecting it, and to identify various methods to inhibit and reduce it. Hence, the current study aimed to evaluate the effect of teaching scientific search methods and increasing familiarity with databases on reducing the level of anxiety among students of dentistry at the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran.Methodology: The current survey included all students of the faculty of dentistry at the Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in the academic year of 2015-16as the study population. A total of 60 volunteers were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly allocated to 2 groups of 30, as the experimental and control groups. The information seeking anxiety scale was used to collect data.Results: The present findings revealed the effectiveness of teaching interventions on reducing the level of information seeking anxiety among students using the independent t test. Specifically, findings revealed a reduction in the anxiety caused by barriers to using information resources (t=3.79; P-value =0.001), by the barriers to using the computer and Internet (t=5.35; P-value =0.001), and by information seeking and topic selection barriers (t=2.50; P-value= 0.015). However, the intervention had no effect on the level of anxiety caused by barriers to using the library (t=0.89; P-value=0.373) and technical barriers (t=0.68; P-value=0.495).Conclusion: Considering the findings of the current study, some measures can be taken to reduce information seeking anxiety in students, especially in the academic environment. Hence, it is recommended to design other studies to further evaluate information seeking anxiety.

Background and Objectives: Thoughts and behaviors of university students are influenced by their expectations from the university and their perception of the university environment. If these expectations are not met, they may even consider quitting the university. The current study evaluated the relationship between students’ attitude toward the university and academic burnout, and examined the mediating role of academic procrastination.Methods: The current cross sectional study was conducted on 384 students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, who were selected using stratified random sampling based on the location of the university. The sample size was determined based on the specific population of the community. Data were collected using a standardized questionnaire on students’ attitude toward the university developed by Weinstein et al., which assessed their perception, expectations, emotions, and knowledge (PEEK). Additionally, the academic procrastination scale developed by Sevari, and the academic burnout questionnaire by Breso et al. were used. Data were analyzed using the independent t test, correlation coefficient test, and the path analysis method using repeated-measure regression models.Results: A significant correlation was observed between the students’ attitudes toward the university and their academic procrastination (r=0.298) and academic burnout (r=0.491). There was significant relationship between the students’ attitudes toward the university and their academic burnout mediated by two dimensions of procrastination: intentional and mental and physical fatigue (P-value <0.05). Further, a comparison of the studied variables between the students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, indicated significant differences in the students’ academic and personal aspects, in their attitude toward the university, and in their academic failure component as a factor of academic burnout; but no significant difference was observed regarding the other studied variables.Conclusion: To promote the academic performance and psychological well-being of students, more attention should be paid to improving their attitudes toward the university in order to reduce and avoid academic procrastination and burnout.

Background & Objectives: The aim of the present study was to introduce a valid and reliable scale for the assessment of exam preparation strategies among students at Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran during the academic year 2015-2016.Methods: In this descriptive exploratory research, a 25-item scale was developed based on a Likert scale in accordance with the literature. Face validity of the scale was confirmed, based on the comments of educational sciences experts. Three reliability indices, composite reliability, construct reliability, and internal consistency, were calculated. In addition to confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and divergent validities were determined.Findings: The results of exploratory factor analysis indicated 2 underlying constructs: 1) deep exam preparation strategies, including 12 items (coefficient, 0.60-0.80; specificity, 12.4); and 2) shallow exam preparation strategies, including 13 items (coefficient, 0.61-0.76; specificity, 2.15). Cronbach's alpha was 0.94 for the first underlying construct and 0.92 for the second construct. In addition, the convergent validity coefficients ranged from 0.50 to 0.57, thus confirming the validity of the constructs. Moreover, the average variance extracted (AVE) of the constructs was higher than the squared correlation of the constructs; therefore, the divergent validity of the scale was confirmed.Conclusion: The present scale for exam preparation strategies consisted of 2 constructs (deep and shallow approaches) and 25 items (deep approach, 12 items; shallow approach, 13 items). According to the analyses, the reliability and validity of the scale were confirmed. Therefore, this scale can be applied by instructors and students to evaluate exam preparation strategies.

Background: Numerous exams are held at different levels and in different fields of medical sciences to evaluate students’ practical knowledge. In pass-fail exams where several examiners score the students, it is important to determine “the minimum passing score” or “the passing score” to determine whether students have passed or failed; this score is sometimes called the “cut-off point” or “standard score.” The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) method is employed for the final assessment of medical students in Semiotics I in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. The commonly used standard scoring method for this lesson is the fixed score method, which sometimes results in a discrepancy between educational management and the lecturers. Hence, the current study aims to compare 4 different methods-the Cohen, borderline-group, borderline regression, and Hofstee methods-of determining the passing score in the semiotics course and comparing the results with those of the fixed score method.Methodology: A 6-station OSCE was used to assess Semiotics I in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2015. In the current study, in order to determine a standard scale for scoring the students, two forms, Forms 1 and 2, and a checklist were completed for each student. In Form 1, a 5-option Likert scale scoring system, graded from poor to excellent, was used. Data from Form 1 were analyzed using the borderline regression and borderline-group methods. Form 2 included 4 items and the collected data were analyzed using the Hofstee method. Data collected from both forms were analyzed, after the exams, using SPSS version 16.Results: The cut-off point established by the Cohen method was very close to that of the common method. In other words, there was no significant difference between the cut-off point determined by the Cohen method (11.73) and that of the common method (12). The other study methods, however, such as borderline regression and borderline-group methods proposed higher cut-off points, which were significantly different from that of the common method: more students failed Semiotics I using these methods. The Hofstee method cannot be used in the OSCE, as the results were insignificant.Conclusion: Because there was a significant difference in the number of students who passed the exam based on the fixed score and Cohen methods, and on the borderline-group and borderline regression methods, it is recommended that the latter methods not be widely employed. In addition, it is suggested that different methods should be used to define a mean standard passing score because, according to the statistics, an accurate and efficient estimator with minimum variances accuracy should be employed to evaluate population parameters, and the mean estimator would benefit from such advantages.

Background & Objectives: The aim of the present study is to investigate the compatibility of public medicine internship and apprenticeship curricula with roles and responsibilities of general practitioners (GPs) from their personal perspectives at health centers, affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.Methods: This cross sectional analytical survey was performed on 80 GPs in East Azerbaijan province, Iran in 2014 via simple random sampling. The data collection tool included a researcher-made questionnaire, based on the curricula of community medicine internship and apprenticeship programs and a focus group discussion about GPs' responsibilities. The content validity and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed by professionals and experts of public health education. For data analysis, descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage) and one-sample t test were performed, using SPSS.Results: On average, more than 83% of GPs in this study believed that subjects presented in public medicine internship and apprenticeship programs should remain in the curricula. More than 60% of GPs demanded the integration of subjects, including professional ethics and approaches towards preventive medicine and disease risk factors, in the internship program. In addition, more than 50% of GPs asked for the integration of accurate drug prescription and test administration in the internship program. Generally, the respondents reported a moderate to high level of compatibility between the educational content of internship (mean, 3.3±0.74; minimum, 1.1; maximum, 5) and apprenticeship (mean, 3.13±0.77; minimum, 1; maximum, 4.92) programs.Conclusion: According to the results, GPs reported a medium to high level of compatibility between the curricula of internship and apprenticeship programs, as stated by GPs. They also asked for the integration of certain subjects in their curricula. Therefore, it is essential to coordinate the educational syllabus with the actual medical education needs of students in order to improve GPs' efficiency and promote a community-based approach in medical education.

Background: Today, information technology and communications play an important role in the promotion of education quality. Some pedagogical studies have been conducted with a focus on electronic learning. This study aims to evaluate the level and distribution of articles on electronic-learning of medical sciences in the Iranian journals of medical sciences.Methods: To collect data, English- and Persian-language scientific-research journals in medical sciences published from 2011 to the end of 2015 were evaluated. Titles, keywords, and methods were searched in the most reliable journals to extract articles in line with the study objectives. The data were analyzed based on descriptive statistics using Excel software.Results: According to the results of the current study, only 1 journal allocated more than 10% (14.6% of all evaluated articles) of its published articles to e-learning in medical sciences (totally 14.6%). The highest ratio of articles on e-learning in medical education to the total articles was found in the Iranian Bimonthly of Education Strategies in Medical Sciences (0.146) and Strides in Development of Medical Education (0.094); and the lowest ratio was found in the Journal of Advances in Medical Education and Professionalism (0.31).Conclusion: Limitations such as hardware and software infrastructures, as well as lack of interest and time by professors were considered as barriers to study electronic skills and technology sciences and their institutionalization within the curriculum.

Background: According to most students, neuroanatomy is difficult to learn. Although different approaches have been suggested for learning neuroanatomical correlations, it seems that none have been effective in aiding learning of afferent and efferent connections. The aim of this study was to develop an innovative method that will facilitate learning of afferent and efferent nervous system connections.Methods: A total of 140 medical students at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences participated in the current study, of which 69 subjects were trained using traditional methods (control group). An innovative method was employed for the remaining 71 subjects (intervention group). In the intervention group, a name and figure were first allocated to each of the nervous system structures in a way that would remind students of the origin of the structure. The students created 3-part names for the allocated structures that were, if possible, humorous. The first part was the alternative name for the structure, and the second and third parts were the alternative names for afferent and efferent structures. The students learned the afferent and efferent connections through the phrases. Each group passed a 12-item pretest and posttest. Results of the tests were analyzed with SPSS using the paired t-test; P ≤ 0.05 was considered to be significant.Results: There was no significant difference in the pretest scores between the study groups (control: 1.64 ± 0.86; intervention: 1.60 ± 0.89; P = 0.40). The posttest score of the intervention group (8.15 ± 1.16) was significantly higher than that of the control (3.75 ± 0.077; P < 0.001).Conclusion: An innovative method can facilitate student learning of afferent and efferent nervous system connections.