EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES
Year:2015 | Volume:8 | Issue:4 |Papers Count:12

Aims: The learners’ beliefs on their capabilities in the process of education are defined as academic self-efficacy that is realized by a variety of factors. This study aimed to investigate the role of family health and attachment styles in prediction of the academic self-efficacy.Instrument & Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive research with a correlation design was performed in all undergraduate students of Literature and Humanities School of the University of Guilan in 2014-15 academic years and 335 students were selected using clustering random sampling method. Hovestadt Family-of-Origin’s Scale, Hazan & Shaver’s attachment styles and Owen & Forman’s Academic Self-efficacy questionnaires were used in order to collect data. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS 22 software using Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression.Findings: Academic self-efficacy had positive and significant relationship with healthcare (r=0.274) and secure attachment style (r=0.336) and negative and significant relationship with avoidant attachment style (r=0.413), anxious attachment style (r=0.402; p<0.01). The predictor variables of avoidant attachment style (p=0.0001; t=4.828), secure attachment style (p=0.0001; t=5.108), anxious attachment style (p=0.001; t=-3.217) and family health (p=0.002; t=3.061) determined 0.3 of the variance of academic self-efficacy among the students and played a major role in the prediction of academic self-efficacy, respectively.Conclusion: Family health and secure attachment style increase the academic selfefficacy beliefs of the students and avoidant- and anxious attachment styles decrease the academic self-efficacy beliefs of the students.

Aims: According to special conditions of universities, realization of knowledge management in Iranian universities has the premier importance compared to other organizations and institutions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between knowledge management dimensions and educational performance of faculty members.Instrument & Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was conducted in 2014 and 127 faculty members of Payam-e-Noor University of the Southern Khorasan Province were selected through simple randomization. The Standard Knowledge Management Questionnaire and a researcher-made educational performance survey were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation test and independent T test.Findings: Knowledge management and educational performance mean scores were 324.33±31.31 and 65.22±13.85, respectively. There was a positive relationship between knowledge management and its dimensions and educational performance. The relationship between knowledge management and its dimensions’ mean scores was significant in terms of gender. However, the relationship between educational performance mean scores was not significant in terms of gender. In terms of faculty’s academic degrees, the relationship between knowledge management and its dimension’s mean scores and their educational performance was significant, while it was insignificant in terms of tenure.Conclusion: Knowledge management dimensions can both enhance and predict faculty’s educational performance.

Aims: The process of evaluating the professors by the students, as a common method of evaluating, has many strengths and weaknesses in performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the stability of the evaluation of the professors by students using two different protocols.Instrument & Methods: In this interventional study in Asadabad Medical Sciences School in 2013-2014, 174 students assessed 26 professors in 53 courses at two semesters using two different methods; paper-based at one week before the end of semester (protocol A) and computer-based on the currently methods (protocol B) after the final exam. The questionnaire was the pre-defined tool in Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 20 and Excel 2013 software with paired T, independent T and Pearson correlation coefficient tests.Findings: The mean score of assessments in protocol A (68.99±17.73) was significantly less than the mean score of assessments in protocol B (91.78±5.40; p<0.001). In all questions, the correlation between scores in two different executive protocol was statistically significant (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean scores given by students according to different courses in two different protocols (p>0.05).Conclusion: Paper-based assessment of professors by students one week before the end of semester is better than the computer-based method and it can discriminate the professors better.

Aims: Continuous virtual (electronic) learning is a method to strengthen the traditional approaches to education, but still there is not lot evidences about the evaluation of this method.The aim of this study was to compare the effect of two virtual (electronic) and traditional (lecture) educational methods on the level of learning of students.Instrument & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study in 2012, 202 undergraduate students of the Department of Public Health of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences who had epidemiology, epidemiology of common diseases, maternal and child health and reproductive health courses in the second semester of 2012 were entered to study by census method. Half of the subjects were presented by lecture and the rest in virtual form and the differences of students ‘scores between educational methods were studied. Students’ viewpoint were also assessed via a researcher-made questionnaire. Student’s T test and analysis of variance were used to analyze the data in SPSS 20 software.Findings: The mean scores of students was not significantly different between two methods (p>0.05). Virtual learning was appropriate in terms of achieving educational goals, content, methods, sequence and type of material and there was no significant relationship between the appropriateness of course content and learning objectives and number of errors in the final exam.Ability of students to work successfully with computer had significant relationships with success in working with e-learning system and computer test scores (p=0.001).Conclusion: Both methods of virtual (electronic) and lecture education have the same impact on the level of learning in students.

Aims: Although the development of lifelong self-directed learning is considered as an inseparable part of the medical profession, its best method of performing in clinical training is still unknown.Achievement goals are of great importance and association in self-directed learning. The present study aimed to prioritize the achievement goals of nursing and midwifery students and its relationship with self-directed learning.Instrument & Methods: This descriptive survey was performed in 209 undergraduate students of nursing, midwifery, surgery room and anesthesia of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011-2012 who were selected through random stratified sampling method with considering gender. The used instrument was development objectives and self-directed learning’s questionnaires. Data analysis was performed in SPSS 21 software using Chi-square and one-way analysis of variance tests.Findings: 103 of students (49%) had approach goals as their first prioritization. There was a significant difference between all of students’ prioritization (p=0.0001), but no significant difference was observed between achievement goals’ prioritization of males and females (p=0.45). There was a significant positive association between self-directed learning and objectives’ prioritization (p=0.012).Conclusion: The first goal of nursing and midwifery students is approaching. Students who have performance goals have more self-directed learning than who have approach and avoidance goals.

Aims: Distance education is considered to be one of the modern education methods in the information era. Having the information literacy skills in distance education environments is more important than traditional training because it helps the people to use the information more effectively and try to search, evaluate and producing the information. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the information literacy level of distance education postgraduate students of Entrepreneurship Faculty of Tehran University.Instrument & Methods: In this descriptive-survey research, 181 master students of distance education of Entrepreneurship Faculty of Tehran University were selected by symmetric stratified sampling in the second semester of 2014-2015 academic years. The instrument used in this study was questionnaire of information literacy based on 5 dimensions standards of the ACRL.18 SPSS software and indicators of descriptive and inferential statistics (Student T test) were used to analyze the data.Findings: The components determine the nature of the information and understanding of the legal and economic items related to information were in the undesirable level. The components of effective access to information and critically information evaluation were in the relatively desirable level. The component of targeted use of data was the only component that was in the desirable level. Also the total average difference of the information literacy skills of distance education students of Entrepreneurship Faculty at University of Tehran was statistically significant (p<0.05) and can be evaluated in the relatively desirable level.Conclusion: The information literacy skills of distance education students of Entrepreneurship Faculty of Tehran University are evaluated in the relatively desirable level.

Aims: Today, improving the quality of higher education system is of basic consideration for the managers. In the meantime, using the external evaluation strategy plays a key role to achieve the qualitative university systems. The aim of this study was to external evaluation of Department of Operative Dentistry and Dental School of Babol University of Medical Sciences.Instrument & Methods: In this descriptive study in 2014-15 academic year, 109 members of the Department of Operative Dentistry and Dental School of Babol University of Medical Sciences (students, faculty members, group manager and group staffs) were participated in the external evaluation process; the students were selected by categorized sampling method and others by census method. Questionnaire, interview, checklist and observation were used to collect data. In order to analyze the data SPSS 21 software and weighting method (valuation) were used.Findings: In viewpoint of the evaluated group, “faculty members” and “equipment and constructions” factors were in nearly desirable condition and “group manager” and “goals and mission” factors were in desirable condition.Conclusion: Department of Operative Dentistry and Dental School, Babol University of Medical Sciences, is in desirable condition in terms of external evaluation.

Aims: The purpose of the professors’ evaluation which partly left up to the students is to improve the teaching quality and enhance the educational level in universities. Regarding this, the use of valid evaluation forms that lead to the recognition of the problems of teaching and learning is important. This study aimed to compare the teaching quality aspects between Student Evaluation of Education Quality and Students Survey questionnaires.Instrument & Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study by correlation type that was performed during the second semester of 2012-13 academic year, 251 students of Health Department of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences participated by census method.The research tools were the Student Evaluation of Education Quality and Students Survey questionnaires. For data analysis, independent- and paired T, Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson correlation coefficient and Tukey tests were utilized.Findings: The difference of total evaluation scores of the professors based on their scientific degree and also the education level and major of students was significant between 2 questionnaires (p<0.05). There was also a significant relationship between the workload and level of interest for each course and the total evaluation score of the professors based on student evaluation of education quality questionnaire (p<0.001).Conclusion: Both questionnaires have acceptable reliability, but the student evaluation of education quality questionnaire highlights the multi aspects of teaching better and is more efficient in demonstrating the strength and weaknesses of teaching.

Aims: In order to improve the quality of education in the scientific and educational centers, usage of communication technologies, especially the Internet, is encouraged and promoted. However, there are not still considerable researches on the role of Internet to improve the quality of education and psychological characteristics of students. The present study investigated the role of using Internet on self-efficacy, educational motivation and achievement of medical students.Instrument & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 363 of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences’ students (174 Internet users and 189 nonusers) who had studied in 2013-14 academic year were selected by stratified random sampling method and entered into the study. To collect data, educational motivation scale, Sharer’s self-efficacy scale (GSES), Internet using questionnaire which made by researcher and the latest educational grade point averages were used. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and independent samples T tests.Findings: The internet user students had significantly more general self-efficacy (creativity and attempt subscales) in comparison to nonusers, but there was no significant difference in perseverance subscale of two groups. Internet user students had more educational achievement and motivation (task of interest subscales, educational effort, social interest, praise gaining, typifying, business continuity, competing) in comparison to nonusers. However, there was no significant difference between two groups in social power subscale.Conclusion: Self-efficacy and educational achievement motivation of Internet user students is more than nonusers.

Aims: Effective learning environment can lead to establish and strengthen the appropriate conditions of learning in higher education. This study aimed to identify and define the factors associated with effective learning environment in the field of health education.Participants & Methods: This qualitative study with content analysis approach was conducted in 2013. Participants were 9 graduate and 7 undergraduate students of health majors that were selected using purposive sampling method. Data were recorded by interview and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Findings: Analysis of the data revealed 4 themes and 13 classes; active and interactive teaching (participating viewpoints of students in educational planning, engaging students in class discussions, providing practical examples to understand the content, relaxing about expressed thoughts, the possibility of constructive criticism master plan of activities and according to the conditions and individual differences between students), Joyful atmosphere (academic motivation, the joy of learning and attendance, a sense of acceptance and respect from teachers and classroom dynamics and vitality and fatigue), relation of courses with professional needs (knowledge of the needs of the job in training course content and related training to the needs of job opportunities) and professors’ scientific and power and expert (expertise and scientific capabilities in the field of teaching).Conclusion: 4 major themes and their characteristics can help to organize the learning environment in medical education.