Strides in Development of Medical Education
Volume:19 Issue: 1, Autumn 2022

The group discussion method is one of the student-centered and active teaching methods in which learners actively participate in educational activities using discussion, and they are given the opportunity to share their opinions and experiences with others.

The present study was conducted to compare the effects of the group discussion method and the lecture method on health workers’ knowledge and attitudes.

In this quasi-experimental study, 70 health workers working in Baft, Kerman province, were selected by census method and divided into two groups of 35 people. Asthma-related educational content was presented for one group as a lecture and the other as a group discussion. Before and after the intervention, health workers’ knowledge and attitudes scores were evaluated and compared using a researcher-made questionnaire.

The mean age of participants was 38 ± 2.7 years. After the intervention, the mean score of attitude was 65.86 ± 6 in the lecture group and 68.66 ± 4.7 in the group discussion group, indicating a significant difference (p = 0.04). The mean score of knowledge after the intervention was 11.4 ± 1.66 in the lecture group and 11.28 ± 1.6 in the group discussion group, which was not statistically significant (p = 0.77). In both groups, the mean scores of knowledge and attitude increased significantly after the intervention (p<0.0001).

The results showed that education affected the increase of health workers’ knowledge and attitudes in both groups. Also, the group discussion method had a greater effect on increasing the attitude of individuals compared to the lecture method; however, this effect was not significant for knowledge. Therefore, it can be concluded that for the training of health workers, it is better to use integrated teaching methods to create deep and efficient learning as well as positive attitude and motivation.

Students’ academic failure is one of the educational problems causing the loss of allocated resources.

This study aimed to assess the factors affecting the academic failure of students and their viewpoints regarding the factors affecting educational achievement at Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Guilan, Iran.

The present cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 375 students in medical, nursing, and other related fields. A valid and reliable multipart questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. Based on the obtained results, the criteria for academic failure were extracted. Then, due to abnormal data distribution, Spearman nonparametric statistical test was used to analyze the data using both SPSS software (version 23) and GraphPad Prism software (version 7).

According to the obtained results, the frequency of academic failure in the study population was 25.6%. Moreover, 28.46% of the students were satisfied with their field of study. Academic failure showed the strongest relationships with gender, regularity, and precision in the study. Furthermore, the most effective factors in educational achievement from the students’ viewpoints were student motivation, professor’s mastery over the subject, and student occupational future.

It is necessary to create a system to precisely investigate students’ academic failure and counseling needs to help them if necessary.

Planning and conducting successful scholarship of teaching and learning or educational scholarship in medical education is essential. The guidelines for faculty members can be significant.

This study aimed to develop a practical guide for teaching and learning scholarship activities.

The present study was a research synthesis conducted in six steps, including formulation of problem or question, literature search, data extraction and analysis, interpretation of results, and public presentation. The extracted publications were independently analyzed, and a consensus was reached on each paper’s stated definitions of the educational scholarship steps.

The results were classified into 12 steps, including recognizing an educational problem, reviewing the literature, analyzing the context, creating a goal-oriented team of stakeholders, determining objectives and planning the SoTL project, finding supportive resources, considering ethical issues, implementing the scholar activities and analyzing evidence, critical appraisal of the SoTL project, reflecting on the SoTL project, documenting the details of the SoTL project, and going public and disseminating the experiences.

Scholars must be able to provide a clear, complete explanation of the innovativeness of their scholarly ideas and the need for this kind of content for their audiences. However, studying and reviewing relevant journals, reflecting on the issues or questions posed, and exchanging ideas with your colleagues are recommended for reviewing and refining scholarly and idea-generation questions.

Due to the widespread utilization of electronic exams, neglecting their quality is a major threat. Assessing the quality of electronic exams plays a decisive role in determining the efficacy of electronic learning.

This study aimed to assess the quality of electronic exams held at the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.

Following a cross-sectional design, this study included all electronic exams of the electronic test center of Birjand University of Medical Sciences during the academic year of 2020. Reliability, discrimination index (DI), and difficulty index (DIF) of exams were used to assess the quality.  Descriptive statistics and frequency distributions were used to describe the data.

Out of 101 E-exams, 59.4% had appropriate DIF, 61.4% had low DI, and 66.3% had unfavorable reliability. Also, 38.6% of exams had high DIF (easy questions). For all exams, the mean of DIF, DI, and reliability was 0.66±0.14, 0.28±0.08, and 0.56±0.31, respectively. The mean of DI (P= 0.30) and reliability (P= 0.09) was not significantly different based on faculty. The mean of DIF was significantly different according to the faculty (P=0.03).

Concerning the quality of e-exams, most problems are related to the DI and reliability. It is recommended to hold empowerment workshops on how to design exam questions for faculty members to get them acquainted with strategies to increase the reliability and discrimination index of the exam.

Given that interaction is a vital element in virtual learning, using the professors’ experiences and perceptions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak can provide useful information about the quality of educational interactions in virtual learning courses in order to improve virtual learning.

This study aims to explain the perceptions of faculty members of Kerman universities regarding virtual learning based on educational interactions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This study was conducted with a qualitative content analysis approach in the academic year of 2021 in Kerman University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. The data collection method was semi-structured interviews with 13 professors of these universities who were included in the study using purposive sampling. Data analysis was performed using the qualitative content analysis method according to the steps introduced by Graneheim and Lundman.

The results of this study were presented in the form of 4 main themes: 1) Teacher-learner interactions, including the tools used, how they interact, and their barriers; 2) Learner-learner interaction, learner-content interaction, and teacher-content interaction, including the professors’ actions to create and increase them; 3) Teacher-teacher interactions, including professors’ instructional and research interactions and their barriers; 4) Content-content interaction, which the findings indicated that professors did not pay much attention to this type of interaction.

Virtual learning is not limited to the COVID-19 outbreak period but can be used as a supplement to face-to-face learning, even when the universities reopen; therefore, valuable experiences of professors of virtual learning can be used to strengthen various types of educational interactions and develop virtual learning in the studied universities and other universities.

Research anxiety and academic self-concept are among the factors that can be effective in improving the level of students’ capabilities in research in the field of medical education.

The present study was conducted to determine the relationship between research anxiety and academic self-concept in master’s and doctoral students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical research was conducted on 102 graduate students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in the master’s and doctoral degrees in 2019. Sampling was performed using a convenience method. The data collection tool included the Higgins Research Anxiety Inventory and the Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASCQ). The data were analyzed by calculating the mean and standard deviation, the independent t-test, and the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software.

In master’s students, research anxiety was inversely and significantly correlated with academic self-concept (r = -0.339, P = 0.002) and academic self-confidence (r = -0.425, P < 0.001). Also, academic self-concept was directly and significantly associated with academic self-confidence (r = 0.876, P < 0.001) and academic effort (r = 0.821, P < 0.001). In doctoral students, academic self-concept also showed a direct and significant association with academic self-confidence (r = 0.835, P < 0.001) and academic effort (r = -0.753, P < 0.001).

 Research anxiety was associated with academic self-concept in master’s students of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, but such a relationship was not found in doctoral students.

Sensory processing pattern is a unique characteristic in each human. Critical thinking is a well-known skill of successful individuals.

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the critical thinking skills and sensory processing patterns of students of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 213 students (147 males and 66 females). Brown’s Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile Questionnaire and Ricketts’ Critical Thinking Questionnaire were used for data collection. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 24) and appropriate statistical tests (i.e., the Pearson correlation test and independent samples t-test).

Critical thinking had a significant positive relationship with sensory sensitivity (r=0.229) and a significant inverse relationship with sensory seeking (r=-0.249) and low registration (r=-0.223). Critical thinking had a significant positive relationship with students’ grade point average (r=0.875). Additionally, there was no significant relationship between critical thinking with sensory avoidance (r=0.099) and age (r=0.847). In the sensory processing patterns, only low registration had a significant relationship with gender (P<0.05).

Students whose dominant patterns of sensory processing were sensory sensitivity and sensory seeking had better and worse critical thinking skills than others, respectively. It seems necessary to pay attention to sensory processing patterns in students to develop their mental skills, especially critical thinking.

COVID-19 crisis has created special educational conditions. This challenge has brought about changes in students’ academic lifestyles.

We aimed to conduct a qualitative study on the students’ academic lifestyle and quality during the COVID-19 crisis.

This is a qualitative method with a phenomenological analysis. The research was conducted within the framework of logic sampling on 50 students with a phenomenological approach to Medical, Health, and Laboratory Sciences students. It was purposeful. Students were asked to describe the style and quality of their academic life in the form of expression of experience during their COVID-19 crisis and quarantine, and then the analysis of the students’ written work was performed using Colaizzi’s seven-step process. Four-dimension criteria were also considered to assess rigor of qualitative research (credibility, dependability, conformability, and transferability).

Of 64 codes obtained in the research, five themes and 11 sub-themes emerged. Themes included items such as 1) unknown stress and anxiety, vague future and professional problem, 2) cognitive burden (information literacy, bulk contents, need for self-paced, and need for mastery), 3) interests (following interest and compensation process), 4) skills (self-regulation, self-direction, and time management), and 5) security (available content, exercise, and practice).

According to the results, it can be stated that changing the academic lifestyle can provide improved personal skills and information literacy, but changing the academic lifestyle in a negative direction with cognitive burden and fear of the unknown has created many problems in the process of this lifestyle.

From the past to the present, the traditional lecturing method has been the usual and preferred method for teaching, and instructors use learner-oriented methods such as group discussion less due to reasons such as being time-consuming and low-experienced in both groups of learners and professors in this regard.

The present study was conducted to compare the effect of implementing the competency-based education model on the clinical skills among midwifery students.

This study was semi-experimental; the samples consisted of 34 midwifery students randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The procedures of pelvic examination, Leopold maneuvers, and suturing were taught in the form of competency-based education during six 60-minute sessions for the experimental group, and the control group was trained according to the conventional method. The required information was collected by the triple skills checklist, and finally, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test in SPSS software.

After the intervention, in the experimental and control groups, the pelvic examination skill scores were 38.00 ± 8.41 and 20.76 ± 7.91, the Leopold maneuvers scores were 35.40 ± 6.29 and 23.18 ± 6.73, and the suturing scores were reported as 30.71 ± 6.93 and 22.12 ± 9.58, respectively (P < 0.050). The results of the ANCOVA test showed that competency-based education affected learning the pelvic examination skill with an effect size of 0.893, suturing with an effect size of 0.644, and Leopold maneuvers with an effect size of 0.860.

Given that students’ skill needs are considered in detail in the competency-based model and are accompanied by continuous evaluation and feedback, they can affect clinical learning. Based on the obtained results, it is suggested that instructors and professors use the competency-based education method as a strategy in addition to the conventional method for teaching professional skills in midwifery.

Nowadays, expectations from higher education systems have changed, and the purpose of these centers is not only to transfer information. One of the solutions to respond to higher education’s new need is to move toward lifelong learning.

This research was conducted to investigate the desirable features of content in higher education with an emphasis on the lifelong learning approach.

This qualitative study was conducted with a content analysis approach in 2019. Nineteen faculty members of Isfahan University, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, and Medical Sciences Universities of Kerman and Isfahan, who were experienced in the fields of curriculum planning, higher education, and teaching and learning, were selected to participate in the study through purposive sampling. Data were collected through open-ended semi-structured interviews. Graneheim and Lundman’s qualitative method was used to analyze the data. The results of data analysis were presented during three stages of open, axial, and selective coding. The peer check method and external observer were used in order to ensure the reliability and acceptability of the data.

According to the results of this research, three main categories were identified as the desirable features of content with an emphasis on the lifelong approach. The first category was “suitability of the content for society and its needs”, which includes the components of being up-to-date and applicability and usefulness. The second category is “suitability for the learner and his/her needs”, which includes the dimensions of matching with the learner’s interest, need, and ability, developing individual skills according to the learners’ potential, and developing excellent thinking skills. The third category is “suitability for curriculum regulations”, which includes the components of continuous education, learning with multiple methods, quality, flexibility, diversity, coherence, and self-direction.

The results of this research can be used in revising higher education content with an emphasis on educating individuals with the feature of lifelong learning.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has caused international health concerns. University students, especially medical students, considered to experience higher anxiety levels. This high level of anxiety may lead to many challenges and unfavorable consequences.

 This study aimed to assess psychological well-being and the prevalence of anxiety among medical students of Kerman University of Medical Sciences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 An online cross-sectional survey was conducted on Kerman University of Medical Sciences medical students from April to June 2021. The participants were asked to complete Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS), Goldberg and Hiller’s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and a demographic information questionnaire. Data were analyzed by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for windows, version 24, at the significance level of p <0.05 and highly significant level of p<0.001. The multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and multiple regression were employed as Statistical tests.

 A total of 201 medical students participated, 60.3% being female. The adjusted mean score of COVID-19 anxiety was 11.05 (1.91), and the mean scores obtained for GHQ28 subscales, including somatic, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depression symptoms, were 5.82 (4.41), 7.75 (3.18), 4.49 (5.14), and 10.12 (7.25), respectively. Different factors, including gender and educational level, significantly affected the components of these two questionnaires. Based on linear regression model, anxiety/Insomnia and depression subscales of GHQ28 questionnaire increased COVID-19 anxiety levels.

 The COVID-19-related anxiety level of medical students was mild. Female students and students with higher educational levels experienced more anxiety attributable to COVID-19. The general anxiety and depression levels were mild. These data highlight that in critical circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, university authorities need to consider medical students’ psychological well-being.

 Program accreditation is one of the approaches to improve the quality of educational programs and is increasingly used in medical science education. Considering the lack of a program accreditation model at the undergraduate level of medical sciences in Iran.

 The present study was conducted to develop accreditation standards for educational programs at the undergraduate level.

 This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020-2021 using a mixed qualitative-quantitative method in two phases. In the first and qualitative phase, the qualitative opinions of nine experts in the basic fields and standards (assessed by the research team in the previous descriptive-comparative study) were obtained by holding a focus group (semi-structured interview). In the second and quantitative phase, the obtained accreditation domains and standards were prepared as an online questionnaire and sent to 16 Iranian experts to confirm the final standards. After analyzing the data, the accreditation standards for undergraduate educational programs were proposed.

 According to our results, 12 domains and 69 criteria were proposed as accreditation standards for educational programs. The results of the analysis of content validity ratio and content validity index showed that the values of all 12 domains and 69 criteria were higher than 0.49 and 0.7, respectively. As a result, all domains and criteria were approved. Moreover, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in all 12 domains was higher than 0.96, indicating an excellent ICC in the proposed domains.

 Providing the framework of local program accreditation standards and criteria helps improve and promote the quality of medical science educational programs and leads to the higher trust of domestic and foreign stakeholders in these programs.

 Assessment plays a great role in encouraging learning and evaluating whether the learning objectives have been achieved.

 This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of dental faculty members toward Patient Management Problem (PMP) and Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) tests.

 In this descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was used to collect information from 54 faculty members of the dental school of Kerman University of Medical Sciences from 2019 to 2020. This study’s questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part included demographic information, and the second included questions related to the faculty members' knowledge (10 questions) and attitudes (8 questions) towards MCQ and PMP tests. Cronbach’s alpha was considered to be 0.8. Content validity was assessed to determine the validity of the questionnaire. SPSS 20 was used to analyze the data, which included descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as non-parametric tests such as the Kruskal-Wallis and linear regression tests.

 Fifty four dentistry faculty members returned the completed questionnaires in this study. Amongst them, 34(63%) were female, and 20(37%) were male. The mean scores of the knowledge and attitudes questionnaire toward the MCQ and PMP tests were 7.20 and 27.83, respectively. The Mean scores of the knowledge and attitudes had no significant relationship with age, gender, and teaching experience.

 Based on the results, it can be concluded that the dental faculty members had good knowledge about MCQs and PMPs structures and their strengths and weaknesses. There was also a good awareness of the shortcomings of the MCQ test in the assessment of clinical reasoning and the lack of transparency of this assessment tool.

 From the past to the present, the traditional lecturing method has been the usual and preferred method for teaching, and instructors use learner-oriented methods such as group discussion less due to reasons such as being time-consuming and low-experienced in both groups of learners and professors in this regard.

 The present study was conducted to compare the effect of implementing the competency-based education model on the clinical skills among midwifery students.

 This study was semi-experimental; the samples consisted of 34 midwifery students randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The procedures of pelvic examination, Leopold maneuvers, and suturing were taught in the form of competency-based education during six 60-minute sessions for the experimental group, and the control group was trained according to the conventional method. The required information was collected by the triple skills checklist, and finally, the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test in SPSS software.

 After the intervention, in the experimental and control groups, the pelvic examination skill scores were 38.00 ± 8.41 and 20.76 ± 7.91, the Leopold maneuvers scores were 35.40 ± 6.29 and 23.18 ± 6.73, and the suturing scores were reported as 30.71 ± 6.93 and 22.12 ± 9.58, respectively (P < 0.050). The results of the ANCOVA test showed that competency-based education affected learning the pelvic examination skill with an effect size of 0.893, suturing with an effect size of 0.644, and Leopold maneuvers with an effect size of 0.860.

 Given that students’ skill needs are considered in detail in the competency-based model and are accompanied by continuous evaluation and feedback, they can affect clinical learning. Based on the obtained results, it is suggested that instructors and professors use the competency-based education method as a strategy in addition to the conventional method for teaching professional skills in midwifery.

 Since health workers are the leading providers of health services, increasing their knowledge and performance can play an essential role in preventing diseases, especially Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

 The current research was conducted to compare the effects of lecture training and Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) training on health workers’ knowledge, attitude, and performance in preventing COVID-19.

 This quasi-experimental study was conducted in two groups with a pretest-posttest design. The study population included 60 health workers in Nikshahr selected by random sampling. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, including demographic questions and items on health workers’ knowledge, attitude, and performance in preventing COVID-19, completed in two training groups by lecture and MMS methods online before and after the intervention.

 The participants’ mean score of knowledge increased significantly after training in both lecture and MMS methods (P < 0.050), but no significant difference was observed between the two methods (P > 0.050). The mean attitude score in the two groups before and after the intervention showed no significant difference (P < 0.050). In the performance dimension, a significant difference was observed between the two groups post-intervention, and this score significantly increased in the MMS group (P < 0.050).

  Considering the effect of the MMS method on health workers’ knowledge and performance, this method can be considered a suitable solution to meet the growing demand for training.

 The necessity of responding to changes and promoting the quality of education has increased the necessity of applying new approaches to empowerment programs.

 The present research aimed to determine the effects of mid-term empowerment programs using a blended approach in the form of flipped classrooms (asynchronous, live meetings) before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic and a virtual (asynchronous-synchronous) approach during the COVID-19 epidemic on teachers’ learning and satisfaction concerning teacher roles in the medical science education system.

 This study was quasi-experimental, and its participants were faculty members of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, participating in the empowerment program. This program was implemented in four periods, including 20 training sessions concerning the roles of a teacher in educational systems in the areas of “professional commitment, lesson planning, teaching-learning methods, assessment and evaluation methods, production of educational products, effective communication, and classroom management”. The program evaluation was performed using the participants’ levels of learning and satisfaction by scenario-based questions and a questionnaire, respectively. The results of different blended education approaches were compared in two time periods, before and during the COVID-19 epidemic. Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (independent T-test) tests. P >0.05 was considered the significance level.

 One hundred and eighteen faculty members participated in the study, of whom
56 were female (47.5%), and 62 were male (52.5%). The faculty members’ satisfaction scores with blended empowerment courses with the flipped classroom were reported as 4.34±0.16 and the virtual blended classroom as 3.26±0.59. A significant difference was observed between satisfaction scores in different periods (P=0.001). The participants’ learning scores in the programs held by the blended approach with the flipped classroom (82.16±32.20) were significantly higher than those held during the COVID-19 epidemic (virtual approach) (59.23±48.53).

 The satisfaction and learning of participants in the flipped classroom program and the virtual blended classroom were at favorable and average levels, respectively. This difference in learning and satisfaction from the perspective of faculty members was significant. Therefore, interactive approaches in different virtual education platforms and a blended approach in empowerment programs are recommended.

 Problem-based learning (PBL) has been one of the most attractive and effective teaching-learning programs during the last 40 years and is one of the newest methods of medical education. In this method, students usually work on a problem in small groups and learn the objectives of education, which include basic and clinical knowledge. The purpose of this study was to seek the opinions of dermatology department students about a viral skin diseases course delivered in a PBL style.

 The purpose of this study was to seek the opinions of dermatology department students about a viral skin diseases course delivered in a PBL style.

 This survey-type cross-sectional collected the opinions of 175 medical students (99 externs and 76 interns) at the dermatology department of Sinai Educational, Research and Treatment Center from April to July 2022. In this study, a researcher-made questionnaire with 25 questions that evaluated learning of viral skin diseases through the PBL method was utilized for data collection. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts.

 The collected opinions of the students showed that this teaching method improved their learning attitude and performance, developed critical thinking skills, improved their ability to learn interactive communication and self-evaluation, and enhanced their time management capacities and motivation to learn clinical subjects.

 According to the results, the PBL method is effective in teaching theoretical courses on skin diseases, and this method can be recommended for delivering other similar courses.

 Given that basic medical science lessons constitute the fundamental part of the professional doctorate course, and among the numerous factors influencing education quality, the teacher is considered one of the most crucial facets of education quality.

 The present research was conducted to determine the perspectives of medical graduates regarding teaching basic science lessons by professors with MSc-PhD degrees compared to professors with MD-PhD degrees.

 This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 general practitioners working on their plans in Kerman. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and finally analyzed using the paired t-test and its
non-parametric equivalent (Wilcoxon test) by SPSS 22 software.

 The mean score of graduates concerning teaching basic sciences by professors with MD-PhD degrees was significantly higher than that of professors with MSc-PhD degrees (P = 0.01); this score significantly increased with enhancing their work experience. In all basic science lessons, medical graduates mostly agreed to teach lessons by professors with MD-PhD degrees than professors with MSc-PhD degrees; however, the frequency of proponents of this issue was mostly different in histology (100%), physiology, anatomy, bacteriology (81%), and public health (99%) lessons, and the lowest disagreement was associated with biochemistry (53.5%) and parasitology (60%) lessons.

 To reinforce and promote the education and learning level of medical students in the country and the health system, professors teaching basic sciences should have the required information and education regarding clinical applications of education, such as professors with MD-PhD degrees, and pay more attention to the clinical aspects in their teaching. It is suggested to hold postdoctoral programs or in-service training, workshops, etc. to achieve this goal.

Cultural competence is a core skill for the healthcare team that reputable medical organizations and associations have always emphasized. Its components are essential in reducing health inequalities, increasing patient satisfaction, and improving health outcomes.

Considering that competency improvement will affect other skills and abilities, this study attempted to identify the effect of cultural competence training on the medical residents’ empathy.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted among 44 medical residents randomly divided into two groups (control and experimental). The participants were from various medical disciplines (internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, pathology, and anesthesia). Cultural Competence was taught to the experimental group in a workshop. Then they were sent short educational messages based on the elements of the cultural competence model of Campinha-Bacote for a month. Data were collected using Jefferson's empathy questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS16.

In this study, forty-four residents were randomly divided into two groups of 22 people. There was no significant difference between the scores of participants in the two groups before the cultural competency course (P>0.05). However, there was a substantial difference between the scores of the two groups after the intervention (P<0.05). The empathy score was higher in the intervention group.

According to the current study, cultural competence training enhances learners’ empathy in clinical settings. It is recommended to be integrated into educational planning and new revisions of curriculums.

 Online social presence is one of the main contributors which has a significant impact on student's academic performance.

 The present study aimed to assess the online social presence among medical students using the Persian Version of the Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) after determining its psychometric properties.

 A cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 medical students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in 2021. The participants were selected through quota sampling. A two-part online questionnaire containing demographic data and the Persian version of the Online Social Presence Questionnaire (OSPQ) was used for data collection. Exploratory and Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0 and LISREL version 8.80. Internal consistency of the Persian version was determined. ANOVA, Independent T-test, and multiple linear regression were also used. The significance level was considered as 0.05.

 Out of 303 medical students, 63.7 percent were female with a mean age of 22.83±2.84 years. The mean score of the social identity subscale (P = 0.001) and the total score (P = 0.03) was significantly higher in females. Also, the mean of the intimacy subscale was significantly higher in interns and basic sciences students compared to pre-clinical students. (P = 0.006) The Cronbach alpha coefficient ranged from 0.70 to 0.93 for the whole scale and its subscales. The factor loading of all items was at an acceptable level ranging from 0.4 to 0.95. Almost all of the goodness of fit indices had excellent levels.

 Our study revealed that the Persian version of OSPQ is a simple, valid, and reliable tool to assess medical students’ sense of social presence in an online environment.

 In modern medical education, the emphasis on student-centered learning and task-based learning has made the role of a learning environment more highlighted. In curriculum development, aligning educational objectives, teaching methods, and assessment methods with the educational environment is emphasized. In the process of evaluating curriculum components, along with the assessment of the other parts, assessing the educational environment through a valid and reliable tool is essential.

 The purpose of this study was to develop a psychometric and localized version of the Surgical Theatre Educational Environment Measure (STEEM) tool for surgical technologists in Iran.

 The present study was a descriptive and analytical study that was conducted cross-sectionally in 2021. After obtaining permission from the developer of the standard questionnaire, following the principles of localization, the stages of translation and
re-translation of the STEEM tool were done. The validity of its face and content was then assessed. In order to determine construct validity, the questionnaire was distributed among 201 surgical technology students. The construct validity of the instrument and its reliability was investigated using exploratory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha and intra-cluster correlation coefficient, respectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS 19.

 The study of face, content, and construct validity resulted in providing a STEEM questionnaire with 5 subscales and 30 questions covering 55.6% of the total variance. The reliability of the whole questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.845.

 Based on the findings of this study, the Iranian version of STEEM, entitled Iranian Measure of Operating Theatre Educational Climate (IMOTEC) has appropriate validity and reliability, and can effectively measure operating theatre educational climate from the perspective of undergraduate surgical technology students.

 E-learning is often covered in university curricula.

 The purpose of this research was to identify the learning preferences of students and to look at the connection between learning styles and e-learning pleasure.

 All first- through third-year dentistry students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences participated in this descriptive cross-sectional survey in 2022. Four key portions of a 50-question electronic survey were addressed: 1) Demographic questions, 2) Kolb learning style inventory, 3) the e-learning survey, and 4) satisfaction with the e-learning questionnaire. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to check the normality of the data. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage) and analytical (Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-score test, Fisher's exact test) were used to analyze the data in SPSS software. A significance level of P>0.05 was considered.

 The questionnaire was filled out by 120 students in total (88% response rate). Divergent learning styles substantially increased students' satisfaction with e-learning compared to other learning styles (P = 0.048). The demographic variable and learning style did not significantly correlate (age-gender-semester- mean score). Additionally, e-learning had a middle-of-the-road average satisfaction score (78.32).

 This research indicated a considerable relationship between dental students’ learning style and their satisfaction with e-learning.

For successful clinical education in a suitable environment and condition, nursing students can be assisted in acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills.

The present study investigated the relationship between the understanding of the learning environment based on constructivism and self-actualization in Kerman University of Medical Sciences nursing students in 2021.

This cross-sectional study utilized a descriptive-analytical method. The study subjects consisted of 160 undergraduate nursing students selected by the census. The information was collected using a demographic profile questionnaire, social constructivist learning environment perception questionnaire, and Ahvaz Self-Actualization Inventory (ASAI). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, linear regression, and chi-square tests in SPSS software.

The mean score of understanding the environment based on constructivism and its dimensions was reported as 191.88 ± 30.50, and that of self-actualization was 81.23 ± 12.99. There was a significant positive relationship between understanding the environment based on self-actualization and constructivism and also between all dimensions of understanding the environment based on constructivism and self-actualization (P < 0.050).

The total score of the constructivist-based learning environment predicted self-actualization in nursing students. Self-actualization may change with a change in the dimensions of this approach. The constructivist approach can improve the self-actualization of nursing students, promote their active participation in building knowledge, and increase their interactions, enhancing abilities, talents, and self-actualization. The constructivist learning environment can lead to the growth and development of nursing students in educational environments and increase their interest in academic achievements in education, research, and employment.

Having a mentor affects nursing students' academic achievement and motivation.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the mentoring program delivered by talented and gifted postgraduate students on motivation, academic achievement, and research activities of undergraduate nursing students of Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2020.

In this formal mentoring program designed as quasi-experimental pre-post-test design research, 29 out of 37 eligible undergraduate nursing students with a low-grade point average (GPA) enrolled voluntarily. After completing the Science Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), 21 students with low or moderate motivation entered the study as part of either mentee (n=10) or the control group (n=11). Five talented master's degree students were selected as mentors, each joining with two mentees and leading them through specific programs during one semester. At the beginning and end of the semester, students' academic motivation, the number of research activities, and educational performance were evaluated and analyzed by covariance (ANCOVA) and paired t-tests.

The students in the mentee group had higher academic motivation than the control group (P = 0.05); 80% of mentees had more than one research activity, while the controls had no research activities (P<0.001), and there was no significant difference between the two groups in the Grade Point Average (GPA) (P=0.110).

Talented students could play the role of mentors well, and applying a mentoring program enhanced undergraduate nursing students' academic motivation and research activities and prevented a decline in their GPAs.