Future of Medical Education Journal
Volume:4 Issue: 3, Sep 2014

Human beings use different approaches to learning. Thus the aim of this study is to explore the mechanisms of learning through the hidden curriculum in the perspective of baccalaureate undergraduate nursing students. This qualitative study, involving 24 baccalaureate undergraduate nursing students, was done by purposeful sampling strategies. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews and continued until data saturation and emerging categories. Content analysis approach was used for data analysis. As a result of data analysis, eight categories emerged including learning from observation, auditory learning, learning from feedback, experiential learning, inverse learning, learning through explaining one’s experiences, modeling, and passive learning. Nursing students learnt the hidden curriculum through different mechanisms. It is recommended that other mechanisms of the running hidden curricula are identified.

Being familiar with new teaching methods and comparing their result helps teachers achieve better planning for applying such methods in the future. This study is aimed on comparing the efficiency of electronic learning and workshop on knowledge and performance of nursing students in controlling nosocomial infections. Two groups were selected by pre-test post-test method. Students were randomly divided into two groups of electronic and workshop learning. A one-day workshop was held for the workshop group, and the electronic group received slides via email. Knowledge and performance of the two groups were evaluated and compared with each other using questionnaires prior to and after two weeks, and the data were analyzed by SPSS 18. Students of the electronic groups achieved better scores compared to the workshop group (P<0.001). Regarding performance, there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.6). According to the results of this research and other studies, both workshop and virtual methods can be used to educate nursing students, but it seems that the combination of the two methods would be more effective to increase knowledge and skills.

Students are the main customers of the universities. Thus, their perceptions and expectations of the educational quality is of great importance in planning for quality improvement. This study is aimed on evaluating the quality of clinical education in hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is a descriptive-analytical study. 303 externship, internship and residency students were participated. After validity and reliability tests, the adapted SERVQUAL questionnaire was used for data gathering. SPSS 18, descriptive tests, Kruskal-Wallis test, and paired t-test were used for data analysis. A negative gap in service quality was observed in all five dimensions. Among externship students, minimum and maximum mean of the quality gap were in assurance (-1) and empathy (-1.28) dimensions, respectively. Among internship students, minimum quality gap was observed in reliability and tangibles dimensions together (-1.09) and maximum quality gap was in responsiveness dimension (-1.36). Among residency students, minimum and maximum quality gap was in tangibles (-1.48) and responsiveness (-2.04), respectively. No significant difference was observed regarding quality gap among different teaching hospitals (P>0.001). However, there was a significant difference among all students in all dimensions (P<0.001). Considering the negative gap in all dimensions of educational services, it is recommended to hold courses educating employees on how to better provide education services and effectively communicate with students. Using new educational methods, counselling skills and communicating with students must be considered in workshops for faculty members.

in order to evaluate educational courses, usually different criteria of student and academic staff are being used. These criteria for students include their number, fields, the ratio of post-garaduate students to all students, and for staff, they are composed of their number, their rank in the academic pyramid, as well as the ratio of students to academic staff classified based on their academic degrees. Introducing a Standard student-to-academic-staff Index including all the above-mentioned factors can help rank these courses. A standard student-to-academic-staff Index is introduced based on the educational load of each and every student at different levels and the weekly length of time allocated to education or academic activity by each staff at a certain rank. The values of this index were calculated for students and staff of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, classified according to its faculties, and through the results of which, the educational status of the university and each faculty has been, thus, analysed in terms of the ratio of students to academic staff. The educational status and the ratio of students to associate professors and professors in MUMS medical and dentistry faculties, using student-to-academic-staff Index, was determined to be very good. This status was considered quite good for the school of Pharmacy, no good for the schools of Nursing, Health and Traditional medicine, and not acceptable for the Para-medical faculty. Using student-to-academic-staff Index, which takes into account the ratio of post-graduate students to all, can help rank the educational status of different faculties in order of very good, good, no good and not acceptable.The Standard student-to-academic-staff Index can also be used in the national project for educational ranking of universities (RAD).

Considering the limitation of reports on the translation of research questionnaires, the present study aims to clarify the necessity of correctly conducting the translation process. Therefore, it deals with describing the process and the required stages for the cultural adaptation of research instruments in an operational style. Consequently, it may provide a platform for researchers to pay more attention to this important issue. Levett-Jones et al.’s (2009) Belongingness Scale--Clinical Placement Experience (BES-CPE) includes 34 items and three subscales of self-esteem, connectedness, and efficacy in 5-point Likert scale. It was translated and studied for cultural adaptation according to Wild et al.’s (2005) model. Following the preparation of the final questionnaire to evaluate reliability, instrument consistency was studied using test-retest method, with a two-week interval, and completing the questionnaire by 25 nursing students. Moreover, internal consistency was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha. During the processes of translation, back translation, and review, six items were corrected and the observation of cultural equivalences was also considered in the questionnaire. Then, in the process of acquiring cognitive debriefing and review, results of interviewing a number of students indicated that some items are problematic. For instance, the results are ambiguous. Thus, five items of the questionnaire were changed. The reliability of the instrument was obtained as r=0.70 through test-retest replicability method. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90 for the whole instrument. Moreover, the values of Cronbach’s alpha for the subscales of self-esteem, connectedness, and efficiency were 0.88, 0.75, and 0.84, respectively. Complete record of translating the instrument, especially when it is translated into another language and culture, proves important for optimum use by other researchers. In the present research, this problem was eliminated. The results indicated the high reliability of the instrument. Therefore, the questionnaire can be used for measuring the nursing students’ belongingness in Iranian clinical settings.

Evaluation of multiple-choice questions is a strategic activity and the most effective tool in educational system and improvement. In this study, the quality of some indexes of multiple-choice exams in Babol Para Medical faculty was investigated on the basis of structure and knowledge level distribution in the first semesters of 2007 and 2012. The Milman checklist was used for evaluating the structure quality of these questions. And these questions were also evaluated in terms of knowledge level in 3 taxonomies: 1. Reminding, 2. Perception and 3. Applying. Data analysis was performed by SPSS 16. More than 70% of these multiple-choice pre-tests contained structural flaws, while the errors decreased from 70% to 30% in post-test and this difference was statistically significant (p= 0.05). 83.9% and 79.5 % of these questions were located at taxonomy 1 in pre and post-tests, respectively. The result showed that the structural quality of these questions had desirable improvement, but there was no significant difference in taxonomy shifts- from 1 to 2, and 3- in terms of knowledge level distribution. Therefore, it is necessary to hold workshops in order to improve the quality of multiple-choice questions in terms of knowledge level distribution at University.

Current study is aimed on researching the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance in employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2011-2012. This is a descriptive correlational study. Subjects were 200 employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, multi-stage cluster method was used for sampling. Data gathering methods were Bar-on emotional intelligence inventory and job performance questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (correlation, regression) were used for data analysis. A positive correlation was observed between all emotional intelligence components (emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, self-esteem, self-actualization, independence, empathy, interpersonal relationships, social responsibility, problem solving, reality testing, flexibility, stress tolerance, impulse control, satisfaction, and optimism) and job performance in employees of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Among these components, optimism, stress tolerance, social responsibility, self-esteem, and independence were the predictors of job performance.

Running standard journal clubs is one of the important goals of postgraduate education. Students should update their knowledge and learn critical appraisal skill. This study aimed to compare quality of journal clubs in Mashhad Dental School in order to improve educational and appraisal structure of journal clubs. This quasi-experimental study was conducted on journal clubs of Mashhad dental school. Journal clubs were evaluated and compared using a valid and reliable (r= 0.74) checklist before and after an educational workshop. Data were analyzed using SPSS: 11.5 by paired T-Test (CI= 95 %) There was a significant difference before and after intervention in terms of educational structure, however no critical appraisal was conducted. As to the results, it is recommended to refresh faculty members and postgraduate students in terms of educational and appraisal structure of journal clubs. It seems teaching critical appraisal is more important.

Smart school project is a new step in information age; it can create fundamental changes in teaching-learning process as well as teacher-student tasks and roles and integration of information technology and curriculum. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate smart schools current statues in Mazandaran province based on “Smart School” Conceptual Model during the academic year 2011-12. The research is non-experimental and to say more specifically is descriptive-analytical. The population contained all principals, technology experts and teachers of selected smart schools of Mazandaran province. The sampling method is completed census; census; it means that the number of sample is equal to the whole society (181). The data was collected using scholar-made questionnaires and observation check list. Questionnaire validity and reliability are estimated using content validity and Cronbach alpha formula. The Cronbach alpha in term of manager and IT deputies'' questionnaire and teacher’s questionnaire are calculated (%95) and (%88), respectively. descriptive statistics and inferential indicators results reveal that public smart schools of Mazandaran province are in fairly desirable level and private smart schools are in desirable level which is close to Smart School Development” Conceptual Model components and standards. to improve current statue of smart schools in Mazandaran province and to achieve a desired level, guidelines and recommendations are presented.