Zooming in on Factors Affecting the Instruction Quality of General Courses in Medical Education in Iran



Jorjani M¹ ; Amini M² ; Kohan N³ ; Sajjadi S⁴ ; Eisazadeh N⁵ ; Habibi A³ ; Sohanaki M⁶ ; Kanani P⁷ ; Mortazavi R⁸
Source: Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Published:2023

Abstract

General courses can effectively enhance students' professional and social personality in medical education. As such, the current study investigated ways of presenting them more effectively. The courses include Persian Literature, General English, Physical Education, and a wide range of courses on Islamic subjects, commonly referred to as “Islamic Education”. The study used both qualitative and quantitative procedures for data collection and evaluation. In the qualitative phase, 48 university professors, students, and course experts from medical universities, were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. The data were then subjected to the primary thematic analysis and code extraction and analyzed. In the quantitative stage, a model for more effective instruction of general subjects in the medical science education programs was developed. The model underwent a tworound validation process using the Delphi method with 50 subject experts. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. As for the qualitative phase, the participants identified several key areas of focus, like assessing needs, updating programs, and increasing applied skills. In the quantitative phase, the components agreed upon dealt with issues like removing unnecessary courses, designing needs-oriented content, involving experts in course revisions, and utilizing new educational technologies. The results strongly indicate the need for revising and updating the content of the courses to suit learners’ future needs. They additionally highlight factors that can contribute to a more efficient presentation of the courses. © 2023Tehran University of Medical Sciences.