The Relationship of Teachers’ Characteristics and Dentistry Students’ Academic Motivation at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual teaching can be more complex, and teachers’ role in motivating students is more critical than before and must be taken into consideration; therefore, this study aimed to determine the role and influence of dentistry lecturers on students’ motivation during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 in the dental school of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The standardized questionnaires used included demographic data, teachers’ characteristics (educational development, performance, personality, and assessment) (Cronbach’s alpha as 0.91), and students’ motivational aspects (intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation) (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87) which was sent online for 200 students. The questions were scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and the collected data was analyzed in Excel and SPSS version 20.0, using independent sample t-test, post-hoc ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation. Results revealed that professional development had the highest average scores, and the lecturers were mostly qualified as experts on the subject (knowledge) (3.30±0.987). The assessment was considered as the weakest point of the teachers (2.41 out of 5). Dentistry students’ intrinsic motivation (3.20±0.774) was higher than extrinsic motivation (2.76±0.991) (P<0.001). The Pearson correlation values of all teachers’ characteristics and students’ motivation were from 0 to 0.3. However, the relationship between the teachers’ characteristics and students’ intrinsic motivation was insignificant (P>0.05). The characteristics of teachers at the faculty of Dentistry at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences had either no or little relationship with the students’ academic motivation during COVID-19 pandemic. This would make arrangement of dental programs in universities in different faculties and disciplines easier in different situations including virtual teaching.