Requirements for improving social capital among faculty members of medical universities: A multicenter qualitative study

Introduction

Social capital is critical to organizational dynamics, particularly in developing countries. This study explored strategies for enhancing social capital among faculty members at seven medical universities in the south of Iran.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted in 2021. We used a purposeful sampling technique to recruit faculty members and conducted individual semi-structured interviews with them. Thematic analysis was used to analyze and describe the collected data.

Results

A total of 49 faculty members (34 males; 15 females) participated in this study. The participants expressed satisfaction with their affiliations with medical universities. Social capital was related to the feeling of belonging to the organization, as well as to interpersonal and intra-organizational relations. Social capital was associated with three components: empowerment, organizational policy change, and organizational identification. Additionally, a dynamic relationship between the individual, interpersonal, and macro-organizational levels reinforced the organization's social capital. This means that, just as the macro-organizational level affects the members' identities, the members' activism affects the macro-organizational level.

Conclusion

To strengthen the organization's social capital, managers should work on the mentioned components at the individual, interpersonal, and macro-organizational levels.

Adaptation and Validation of Indonesian Version of the Commitment to Change Scale

Purpose

The study aims to adapt and validate the Indonesian version of the commitment to change scale that was initially developed by Herscovitch and Meyer.

Methods

Data were collected using an online application among faculty members of several universities who have experienced policy changes from the Indonesian government regarding research-related issues. A total of 204 responses were obtained. The data was validated using the Content Validity Index (CVI), the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the Convergent and Discriminant correlations as well as the Cronbach's alpha.

Results

The results demonstrated that commitment to change could be represented by three dimensions of affective, continuance and normative commitment to change, although there is one item that must be adjusted. The results of the Scale-Content Validity Index (S-CVI) show that the commitment to change scale has excellent content validity (S-CVI/Ave = 0.97). CFA results show a good fit, Cronbach's alpha obtains good results with ACTC (α = 0.71); CCTC (α = 0.83); NCTC (α = 0.77) and Construct Reliability (CR) values obtained are also quite good with ACTC = 0.85; CCTC = 0.86; NCTC = 0.86. From the results of the convergent and discriminant validity tests, it was found that the affective commitment to change positively correlates with job satisfaction and negatively correlates with job stress. However, both continuance and normative commitment to change scale does not correlate with the two variables.

Conclusion

The Indonesian version of the commitment to change scale shows good psychometric properties and has proven valid to provide the measurement of commitment to change, especially for the faculty members in Indonesia.

How Did COVID-19 Change Faculty Members' Use of Technology?

COVID-19 has caused great changes in education. Routines, practices, and especially the technologies used in teaching have differentiated at all levels of education. The purpose of this study is to determine the technologies used by faculty members for instructional purposes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and their perspectives on the use of these technologies after the end of pandemic. A close-ended questionnaire was used for gathering data in this survey research study. Participants are150 faculty members from different ages and fields. Findings indicate that, although faculty members experienced various issues (e.g., infrastructure problems, access to technology, and lack of experience in technology) while teaching through technological facilities during the pandemic, they are in favor of using tools such as WhatsApp, Google classroom, Zoom Meeting, Facebook, and e-mail after the end of pandemic due to the different facilities they provide.

Lived Experience of Faculty Members of Ethics in Virtual Education

The use of virtual education in teaching has provided a wide range of new educational opportunities; but the combination of ethical and legal risks associated with accessing and exchanging information in the form of ethical issues in the digital space has challenged this type of education. In this regard, in the present study, an attempt has been made to express the faculty members' experiences of ethics in virtual education. The research method was qualitative and based on this, 15 samples were interviewed from two groups of experts in technology and computer science and the field of social and humanities sciences. Content analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. The results showed that faculty members' perceptions of the issue of ethics in virtual education originates from two approaches: ethical character and ethical security. Also, the results of research related to the ethical issues of using virtual education in higher education by faculty members show that these issues are raised in four dimensions of learning environmental health, cultural dimension, security dimension and identity dimension. In addition, the results show that ethical standards can be placed in three levels of civil liability to students, civil liability as a professional faculty member, and civil liability to the virtual education system. These ethical standards can include ethical issues try to solve them.

The role of unsustainable HR practices as illegitimate tasks in escalating the sense of workplace ostracism

Unsustainable HR practices impose illegitimate tasks on employees due to a shortage of resources. These illegitimate tasks bring counterproductive work behavior in terms of workplace incivility that creates a sense of ostracism in employees. To address these issues, the study examined the relationship among unsustainable HR practices in terms of illegitimate tasks and workplace ostracism. Whereas workplace incivility is defined as an underlying reason through which this association exists. Adopting a theoretical framework from earlier research, the study used cross-sectional data and subsequently a method of quantitative research, and the sample comprised permanent faculty members of private universities in Pakistan working in different departments with different role titles. Smart PLS was applied to run multiple statistics analyzed on the obtained data. The results from the study supported the hypothesis by depicting a positive and significant association between illegitimate tasks and workplace ostracism. Further, workplace incivility was playing the mediating role between illegitimate tasks and workplace ostracism. The results from the study carry significant implications for managers and researchers. Recommendations and future research directions are also discussed in the paper.

Effect of M-Learning on promoting the awareness of faculty members of the universities of medical sciences of Iran about their employment regulations in 2020

Introduction

New technologies enable universities to incorporate innovative teaching-learning strategies into their curricula. Therefore, this research investigates the effect of mobile learning on promoting the awareness of faculty members of the universities of medical sciences of Iran about their employment regulations.

Materials and methods

The statistical population of this research included all faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in southwestern Iran. One hundred and fourteen people entered the quasi-experimental study through convenience sampling. First, we sent the designed mobile app to them through social networks to install on their phone. We measured their awareness about the app and M-Learning through a researcher-constructed questionnaire.

Results

M-Learning and App was able to increase the awareness of faculty members, which was significant according to their academic rank and work experience. Faculty members who were professor and instructor, as well as those who had e under 5 years or 11-20 years of experience gained more awareness (P = 0.00). It was not significant in other variables. Ninety eight percent of the faculty members considered the technical capabilities of the designed app appropriate. Ninety seven percentage of the faculty members suggested M-Learning for teaching similar subjects in their profession.

Discussion and conclusion

The faculty members had a positive attitude toward this designed educational app and M-Learning. Designing similar mobile training apps can improve their professional performance.

The COVID-19 pandemic: The importance of physical activity among faculty members

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed serious challenge to societies worldwide. To prevent person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus and avoid associated morbidity and mortality, several public health measures have been introduced by various health organizations and authorities, such as social distancing policies and quarantine. While necessary, these public health measures are likely to have implications for people's physical activity behaviors. This viewpoint is intended for faculty members and focus on the importance of physical activity for health. Suggestions on how to stay physically active during the COVID-19 pandemic are also provided.

Blackboard in Dental Education: Educators' Perspectives During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

INTRODUCTION

E-learning systems play a vital role in education during the COVID-19 pandemic. These systems allow educators to plan, deliver, and follow up on the education process during the closure of universities and schools. This study aims to report the experiences of dental faculty members using the Blackboard system.

METHODS

The study used a descriptive qualitative design. Data were collected from staff members at the Dental Faculty of Umm Al Qura University through semi-structured focus group discussions that were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed three barriers: (1) pedagogical, (2) technical, and (3) individual. For the advantages, three themes emerged: (1) ease of use, (2) ongoing support, and (3) usefulness. Most participants were satisfied with using Blackboard and believed it to be a valuable and complementary educational tool in dentistry.

CONCLUSION

The reported experiences and recommendations are helpful for university leaders, policymakers, and program designers in improving the quality of e-learning in the future.

Perceived Knowledge and Attitudes of Faculty Members towards Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities: Evidence from a Greek University

The current paper aimed at investigating factors affecting the perceptions and attitudes of faculty members towards inclusive education for students with disabilities in a Greek University. A questionnaire, based on the “Expanding Cultural Awareness of Exceptional Learners-ExCEL” was distributed online to 311 faculty members, during the first semester of 2020. The questionnaire explored participants’ sociodemographic and academic background, prior training and personal experience with disability, perceived knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards inclusive education practices. A total of 80 questionnaires were completed (males 56.3%; aged 41–50 years 43.7%; working experience > 16 years 52.4%; prior training on disability 77.5%). Factor analysis identified four constructs relevant to: (a) perceived knowledge regarding the legal framework (“Perceived Knowledge”), (b) intention towards the provision of general accommodations in class (“Help in Class”), (c) intention towards resource provision (“Material Offer”), and (d) beliefs about the provision of accommodations to students with disabilities (“Negative Attitude”). Gender, faculty subject and prior training on disability were shown to affect the participants’ “Perceived Knowledge”, while working position was shown to affect “Material Offer”. Age, working experience, and personal experience with disability did not reveal any significant effect. More research is needed to investigate the attitudinal and practical barriers of faculty members towards meeting students’ educational needs.

Reliability and validity of a satisfaction questionnaire on virtual education in the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic era aimed at cardiology faculty members

BACKGROUND

In the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic era, clinical programs and mandatory hands-on activities have been supplanted by remote teaching to maintain the fundamental capabilities of medical training and to furnish medical students with quality education. Nonetheless, the satisfaction of faculty members with this training method in the current pandemic has yet to be assessed. The aim of this study was to design a Persian questionnaire with appropriate validity and reliability on cardiology professors' satisfaction level with virtual education.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was devised drawing upon scientific sources and Iranian medical educators' expertise. Seventeen faculty members in various specialties evaluated the questionnaire concerning face and content validity. Content validity was assessed through the calculation of the content validity ratio (CVR) (values >0.62 were considered acceptable) and the content validity index (CVI) (values >0.79 were considered acceptable), construct validity was evaluated through principal component factor analysis by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistic and Bartlett's sphericity test, internal reliability was measured through the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and consistency was appraised through the use of test-retest reliability at two different time points.

RESULTS

The questionnaire had a reliability rate of 95%, indicating high internal validity. Concerning test-retest reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.96 (P < 0.001), demonstrating relatively good stability. The CVI was 0.81, and the CVR was 0.85. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy was 0.954, indicating the acceptability of the degree of common variance among the all items.

CONCLUSIONS

This Persian questionnaire on virtual education aimed at cardiology faculty members in the current pandemic with its low question count and appropriate domains had high reliability and validity. By knowing the level of professors' satisfaction with the new method of education, it is possible to take steps to better provide specialized medical education to cardiology residents.

Inclusive pedagogy in Health Sciences Spanish faculties: Educational resources and methodologies for all students

This article presents the educational practices carried out by Spanish faculty members of Health Sciences to attend to student diversity. A total of 19 faculty members of this area of knowledge suggested by their disabled students participated in the study. Following a qualitative methodology, individual semi-structured interviews were used for the gathering of data. The collected data were analysed through an inductive system of categories and codes. The results show the learning resources that the participants employed to allow all students to make use of them, as well as the teaching methods and strategies that they applied to achieve the active participation and learning of every student. Moreover, the participants commented on the reasonable adjustments that they made when they had a disabled student in their classrooms. Finally, the results were compared to those of other analogous studies, highlighting the keys that could help other faculty members to develop more inclusive practices.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection at the University of Barcelona during the Third COVID-19 Pandemic Wave in Spain

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic started in December 2019 and still is a major global health challenge. Lockdown measures and social distancing sparked a global shift towards online learning, which deeply impacted universities' daily life, and the University of Barcelona (UB) was not an exception. Accordingly, we aimed to determine the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic at the UB. To that end, we performed a cross-sectional study on a sample of 2784 UB members (n = 52,529). Participants answered a brief, ad hoc, online epidemiological questionnaire and provided a nasal swab for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) SARS-CoV-2 analysis and a venous blood sample for SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody assay. Total prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive RT-PCR or positive IgG) was 14.9% (95%CI 13.3 to 17.0%). Forty-four participants (1.6%, 95%CI: 1.2-2.1%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. IgG against SARS-CoV-2 was observed in 12.8% (95%CI: 11.6-14.1%) of participants. Overall, while waiting for population vaccination and/or increased herd immunity, we should concentrate on identifying and isolating new cases and their contacts.

Validation and Normalization of Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Inventory in Faculty Members of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

INTRODUCTION

Considering the importance of teaching styles and their impact on promoting higher education, and the lack of a valid and reliable tool in universities of medical sciences for measuring this concept, as well as no instruments normalized for Faculty of Medical Sciences, the aims of this study were to 1) evaluate and normalize Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Inventory and 2) determine the teaching style of the faculty members of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences during 2018-2019.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a methodological study. In order to carry out this study, Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Inventory was translated and culturally adopted. To measure validity, reliability, and normalize the questionnaire, it was distributed among the study population composed of 361 faculty members (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor) who were taught theoretical and practical courses in Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran, during the academic year 2018-2019. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's alpha using SPSS version 16 were used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

The results of data analysis showed that of the 361 participants, 212 were men and 149 were women. The mean age of the participants was 42.52 ± 7.72 years and their average work experience was 10.12 ± 7.61 years. Content validity was calculated using content validity index (CVI) and content validity ratio (CVR) for each item, and it was reported 97.4 and 68.5, respectively. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the internal consistency, and its value was 95%. The construct validity of the Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Inventory was assessed using CFA by EQS version 6.1. The value of root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) was 0.075 with the 90% confidence interval, and the GFI value was 0.74. The mean scores and standard deviations (SD) of teaching styles were 5.61 ± 0.61 for Expert teaching style, 5.23 ± 0.72 for formal authority teaching style, 5.39 ± 0.66 for personal model teaching style, 5.43±0.71 for facilitator teaching style, and 4.99 ± 0.82 for delegator teaching style. Our results suggested dominance of the expert (88.6%) and delegator (79.8%) teaching styles as well as the modest use of personal model (65.9%), formal authority (59.3%), and facilitator (55.7%) teaching styles among the faculty members of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

DISCUSSION

The results of the current study will be effective in promoting education level and increasing students' satisfaction with the academic courses. Researchers and those interested in university medical education and development centers can benefit from the results of this study. For the first time, the psychometric test (normalizing and validating) of Grasha-Riechmann Teaching Style Inventory has been carried out at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. Also, this questionnaire has been applicable to determine teaching styles of faculty members.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the results of the present study showed that the Grasha-Riechmann teaching Style Inventory had a good internal consistency and can be used as a valid tool for evaluating teachers' teaching style.

Faculty Members' Attitude Toward Establishing a Business Center in the Dental School Clinic, King Saud University

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the faculty members' attitude toward establishing a business center in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Materials and Methods

A structured questionnaire comprised three sections: demographic variables such as gender and age, questions regarding the faculty's attitude toward a dental college business center, and a comparison between a business center and private clinics. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the groups with scale response variable; independent t-test, analysis of variance, and factor analysis were also conducted.

Results

The study results show that 43 respondents were men and 26 were women. Twenty respondents were ranked in the position of assistant professor, whereas 38 were ranked as associate professors, and 11 as professors. In total, 88.5% of female faculty members supported the idea of establishing a business center at the dental college, whereas 65% of male faculty members supported the same idea. There is a statistically significant difference among them (P < 0.05). The factor analysis extracted three factors named as "treatment accessibility," "treatment effectiveness," and "treatment cost." The factor loading ranges from 0.652 to 0.867, and altogether they explain 79% of the total data variance.

Conclusion

Our study proved that 65.1% of male and 88.5% of female dental faculty of the college supported the idea of establishing a business center at the dental college as funding is needed to invest in dental education and research programs in order to formulate the next generation of practitioners to serve the population. This study will add to the progress of establishing a business center in dental education and provides the patient with a treatment accessibility and effectiveness in a low-cost budget.

The Impact Of Psychological Empowerment On Work Engagement Among University Faculty Members In China

Background

The primary aim of this research was to examine the role of psychological empowerment on the work engagement of university faculty members in China and the implications for both faculty members and university administrators. The questions of the study focus on the level of psychological empowerment and work engagement of university faculty members and the correlation between psychological empowerment and work engagement.

Materials and methods

Data were collected from a sample of 162 faculty members working at a China university. They were asked to complete two self-reported scales with good reliability and validity: the psychological empowerment scale (PES) and the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES). The responses from the sample were analyzed using SPSS software. The descriptive statistics showed the participants’ statistical characteristics, while independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed group differences among university faculty members. Correlation analysis and multidimensional regression analysis demonstrated how psychological empowerment affected work engagement.

Results

The total scores for the PES and UWES were both moderately high. Gender, age, degree attained, and professional ranking were associated with differences in levels of psychological empowerment and work engagement. The results confirmed that psychological empowerment was positively correlated with all the dimensions of work engagement. The regression analysis results showed that the positive role of psychological empowerment in work engagement was mainly realized through two dimensions: meaning and competence.

Conclusion

The study results revealed significant group differences in the PES and UWES scores among university faculty members. Universities should give more support to younger and junior faculty. There is highly positive correlation between psychological empowerment and work engagement. University should recognize the role of psychological empowerment and create a supportive environment to promote faculty members’ professional development, which, in turn, can increase universities’ productivity.

Factors influencing the results of faculty evaluation in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore factors influencing the results of faculty member evaluation from the viewpoints of faculty members affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This qualitative study was done using a conventional content analysis method. Participants were faculty members of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences who, considering maximum variation in sampling, were chosen with a purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were held with 11 faculty members until data saturation was reached. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with conventional content analysis method for theme development. Further, the MAXQDA software was used for data management.

RESULTS

The data analysis led to the development of two main themes, namely, "characteristics of the educational system" and "characteristics of the faculty member evaluation system." The first main theme consists of three categories, i.e. "characteristics of influential people in evaluation," "features of the courses," and "background characteristics." The other theme has the following as its categories: "evaluation methods," "evaluation tools," "evaluation process," and "application of evaluation results." Each category will have its subcategories.

CONCLUSIONS

Many factors affect the evaluation of faculty members that should be taken into account by educational policymakers for improving the quality of the educational process. In addition to the factors that directly influence the educational system, methodological problems in the evaluation system need special attention.

The Students' Viewpoint on Quality of Educational Services in Iran

Background:

Recently, focusing on higher education quality has got increasingly critical. The novel managerial attitudes have defined the customer-demanded quality. Based on this, recognizing the receivers’ perception of the quality of the services offered and evaluating the quality of the service is considered of the basic measures taken in order to develop quality promotion programs. Therefore, this is a qualitative research conducted for students’ viewpoint on quality of educational services.

Material and Methods:

This qualitative study has been performed by the phenomenological method. The samples have been selected based on goal-oriented approach. In this qualitative research, the required data have been collected in two phases (90 individual interviews and 30 focus group discussions) at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences during which the participants have conveyed their experiences and expectations encountering the educational quality topic. All the interviews have been recorded and implemented. The interviews analysis has been carried out simultaneously with the implementation and using theme analysis by Smith method.

Results:

According to the findings regarding the definition of quality, the students have emphasized two important aspects including “educational services standards by the teacher “and “the students’ satisfaction”. Thus the final education quality resulted from the students’ experiences and perception is this way: “Presenting the students educational services in class and out of class compatible with the educational services standards so that it results in the students’ satisfaction”. When a person views her/him-self rightful as a customer, whatever seems necessary to them appears like a requirement. Then regarding paying attention and reflecting on the customers’ perceived needs, it is possible to determine their expectations limit to some extent.

Conclusion:

Therefore, designing educational quality standards in order to evaluate the teachers’ function without taking the stakeholders’ perspective into account is not practical. This research-extracted finding can present the stakeholders’ perspective encountering the educational quality.

Association between Organizational Commitment and Personality Traits of Faculty Members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Introduction

Individual characteristics are important factors influencing organizational commitment. Also, committed human resources can lead organizations to performance improvement as well as personal and organizational achievements. This research aimed to determine the association between organizational commitment and personality traits among faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

Methods

the research population of this cross-sectional study was the faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ahvaz, Iran). The sample size was determined to be 83. Data collection instruments were the Allen and Meyer questionnaire for organizational commitment and Neo for characteristics’ features. The data were analyzed through Pearson’s product-moment correlation and the independent samples t-test, ANOVA, and simple linear regression analysis (SLR) by SPSS.

Results

Continuance commitment showed a significant positive association with neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Normative commitment showed a significant positive association with conscientiousness and a negative association with extroversion (p = 0.001). Openness had a positive association with affective commitment. Openness and agreeableness, among the five characteristics’ features, had the most effect on organizational commitment, as indicated by simple linear regression analysis.

Conclusion

Faculty members’ characteristics showed a significant association with their organizational commitment. Determining appropriate characteristic criteria for faculty members may lead to employing committed personnel to accomplish the University’s objectives and tasks.

The relationship between job performance and perceived organizational support in faculty members at Chinese universities: a questionnaire survey

BACKGROUND

Although several studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and job performance (JP), it remains unclear whether this relationship is appropriate for faculty members at Chinese universities. The objectives of this study were to (a) examine the correlation between POS andJP; (b) identify the predictors of POS, including demographic and organizational characteristics among faculty members at a Chinese university; (c) investigate the influence of mediating factors between POS and JP; and (d) compare the findings of this study with related studies.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to 700 faculty members who were randomly selected from all faculty members at six universities. A total of 581 questionnaires were obtained. A statistical model for JP was developed based on the literature review.

RESULTS

The analysis results indicated that the relationship between POS and JP was mediated by job satisfaction (JS), positive affectivity (PA), and affective commitment (AC). In addition, procedural and distributive justice contribute to POS.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concludes that the relationship between POS and JP is mediated by JS, PA, and AC and is influenced by POS. These results can provide evidence for university administrators to improve POS and increase the JP of faculty members at universities.

An instrument to assess subjective task value beliefs regarding the decision to pursue postgraduate training

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate an instrument to assess subjective ratings of the perceived value of various postgraduate training paths followed using expectancy-value as a theoretical framework; and to explore differences in value beliefs across type of postgraduate training pursued and type of pharmacy training completed prior to postgraduate training.

METHODS

A survey instrument was developed to sample 4 theoretical domains of subjective task value: intrinsic value, attainment value, utility value, and perceived cost. Retrospective self-report methodology was employed to examine respondents' (N=1,148) subjective task value beliefs specific to their highest level of postgraduate training completed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analytic techniques were used to evaluate and validate value belief constructs.

RESULTS

Intrinsic, attainment, utility, cost, and financial value constructs resulted from exploratory factor analysis. Cross-validation resulted in a 26-item instrument that demonstrated good model fit. Differences in value beliefs were noted across type of postgraduate training pursued and pharmacy training characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

The Postgraduate Training Value Instrument demonstrated evidence of reliability and construct validity. The survey instrument can be used to assess value beliefs regarding multiple postgraduate training options in pharmacy and potentially inform targeted recruiting of individuals to those paths best matching their own value beliefs.

Knowledge and attitude of dental faculty members towards evidence-based dentistry in Iran

INTRODUCTION

Educating dental practitioners is a major component in obtaining evidence-based approach to oral health care, but there is no evidence about knowledge and attitude of dental faculty members towards evidence-based dentistry (EBD) in Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using self-administered questionnaires on dental school faculties in Iran to assess their knowledge and attitude towards basic principles and methods of EBD. A total of eight dental schools were randomly selected of 17 public and two existing private schools. Validated questionnaire with an appropriate reliability (Cronbach's alpha 0.67 - 0.87) was conducted on (n = 505) available dental instructors. The covered dimensions were perceived knowledge on critical appraisal, actual knowledge of EBD concepts, evidence-accessing methods and attitudes about EBD. Correlations were assessed between background characteristics and four main parts of the questionnaire, and multiple linear regression analysis was also used.

RESULTS

A total of 377 of 505 dental instructors returned completed questionnaires (response rate 74.65%). The mean perceived knowledge score was 15.32 ± 4.69 on a range of 6-36, and mean actual knowledge was 7.98 ± 2.0 on a range of 0-11 for all respondents with an overall positive attitude towards EBD.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the level of actual knowledge of dental faculties about basic principles of EBD was moderate in Iran. However, faculties' overall interest and positive attitude towards learning EBD is encouraging. Therefore, it is highly recommended that degree/certificate continuing educational programmes be planned by the organising committees.

Creative solution for implementation of experiential, competency-based palliative care training for internal medicine residents

To graduate internal medicine residents with basic competency in palliative care, we employ a two-pronged strategy targeted at both residents and attending physicians as learners. The first prong provides a knowledge foundation using web-based learning programs designed specifically for residents and clinical faculty members. The second prong is assessment of resident competency in key palliative care domains by faculty members using direct observation during clinical rotations. The faculty training program contains Competency Assessment Tools addressing 19 topics distributed amongst four broad palliative care domains designed to assist faculty members in making the clinical competency assessments. Residents are required to complete their web-based training by the end of their internship year; they must demonstrate competency in one skill from each of the four broad palliative care domains prior to graduation. Resident and faculty evaluation of the training programs is favorable. Outcome-based measures are planned to evaluate long-term program effectiveness.

Experiences of university faculty members regarding communication in work environment

BACKGROUND

Individuals have different understandings, beliefs, values and attitudes, and follow their own specific approach to express their feelings. The present research was aimed to study the experiences of the faculty members of nursing and midwifery department regarding communication in work environment.

METHODS

As the phenomenon to be studied in the current research is the human experiences, the study was accomplished in nursing and midwifery department of seven universities, including Isfahan, Shahid Beheshti, Tehran, Iran, Mashhad, Shiraz, and Tabriz universities of medical sciences. The most common data collection technique in qualitative studies is the participants' observations, interview, and their written texts. In the present study, Collaizzi's seven steps were applied.

RESULTS

We interviewed 36 individuals, including 20 women and 16 men. The intra-organizational communications influence the physical and mental health as well as performance of staffs in their work environment.

CONCLUSIONS

This study expressed in the themes formulated from statements of the units under study.