Journal Of Advances In Medical Education And Professionalism (23222220)11(2)pp. 86-94
Introduction: University training for committed and specialized human resources is not provided only through specialized skills training; graduates in any field need high quality soft skills for fulfilling the requirements of the community, so the proper integration of such skills into the curriculum of that profession is essential. Given the significance of soft skills in the success and quality of dentistry and lack of attention to soft skills training in basic sciences courses, the present study aimed to identify the requirements of the process-oriented integration of soft skills training in basic sciences courses of dentistry. Methods: The present qualitative study employed a semi-structured interviewing technique for data collection. The research population consisted of 39 basic sciences faculty members at Isfahan and Mazandaran Universities of Medical Sciences and education experts selected by a purposive sampling technique. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: For the process-oriented integration of soft skills in basic sciences courses, the current study identified four central requirements: providing background conditions (provision of socio-cultural contexts in society; development of educational and evaluation platforms in pre-university courses), providing professionalism (development of professionalism in the doctoral course of basic medical sciences; improvement in the model of faculty members), providing conditions for changing the curriculum (modification of curriculum and objectives in the basic sciences courses in dentistry; development of the attitude and knowledge of basic science faculty members towards soft skills training), and providing conditions for university pedagogy (provision of interactive and communication conditions; benefitting from diverse and appropriate learning activities; development of faculty members’ pedagogical abilities). Conclusion: Medical sciences curriculum planners can integrate the soft skills of dentistry in the basic science courses of the field by providing the conditions for the identified requirements. © Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism.
Strides in Development of Medical Education Journal (26453452)18(1)
Background: The dentistry profession requires a high level of soft skills whose training seems necessary to respond to the community and increase the quality of specialized practice. Objectives: The present study was conducted to examine the status of soft skills training in dentistry basic sciences courses and identify the capabilities of each basic sciences course for the process-oriented integration of soft skills in the dentistry profession. Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted in 2018-2019.Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. The study’s statistical population included the faculty members of the basic sciences of Isfahan and Mazandaran universities of medical sciences Iran, using purposive sampling. Moreover, the content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Soft skills training in the dentistry profession was not one of the educational objectives of basic sciences courses in this field, and teaching and evaluation methods used by professors had less capability to develop these skills. Additionally, the results showed that most of the identified soft skills in five domains had the integration capability in most basic sciences courses. Only some differences were observed in the integration of soft skills in the cognitive-intellectual domain. Conclusion: It is suggested to include soft skills training in the objectives of dentistry basic sciences courses and consider the capabilities of each course and curricula to correct teaching and evaluation methods in this regard. Furthermore, it is recommended to strengthen the capabilities of basic sciences professors to integrate soft skills. © 2021, Strides in Development of Medical Education is Published by Kerman University of Medical Science.
International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning (25381032)21(1)pp. 13-24
The present study aimed to investigate the desirable assessment methods of the performance of the BA law students during internships, using a mixed methods research approach. The data was collected by using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. In the qualitative part of the study, interviews were conducted with 28 internship experts, lawyers, faculty members from the University of Isfahan, and graduate students, who were purposively selected. In the quantitative part, questionnaires were administered to 114 students from the academic year 2017-2018 and the graduates from 2014-2017 in the field of law. The results of the qualitative part of the study revealed that the interviewees emphasized the professor s assessment of student performance. The results of the quantitative part of the study revealed that student performance in simulated settings and practical and diagnostic capabilities of students for dealing with client problems are among the desirable assessment methods of the performance of the BA law students during internships. © 2020 International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning. All rights reserved.
Eurasian Journal Of Educational Research (1302597X)2018(77)pp. 145-162
Problem Statement: To Iranian policy makers, higher education plays a key role in realizing the country’s development visions. This has led to the mapping of visions of higher education in upstream resources. In this regard, curriculum is an essential tool for higher education to fulfil its functions optimally. However, despite its significance, the clarification of the missions of future curricula is almost entirely neglected in Iran as the subject of research. Purpose of Study: This study aimed to clarify the missions of future curricula of Iranian higher education based on the visions of the country’s higher education on the horizon of 2025 (Iran’s 20-Year Vision Plan). Research Methods: The present research was developmental in terms of purpose, and was conducted through a combined exploratory method in the academic year 2014-15. The qualitative method was used to analyse the qualitative content of the upstream resources (e.g., artefacts and policy documents) as well as interviews with 14 experts from higher education. In addition, the quantitative method was used to collect data from 338 faculty members and PhD students. In this research, the data obtained from qualitative content analysis of the interviews was used to build the questionnaire. Findings: Findings indicated that the emphasis on research and technological functions, alongside that of education and service, pursues the goal of translating the knowledge acquired in the country into product. The results also revealed that, the approach to future curricula is society-oriented, and the accountability to the society should be at the centre of strategies of curriculum development. Implications for Research and Practice: The present study emphasized making Iranian universities more mission-oriented and aligned with the realization of higher education perspectives as well as the realization of sustainable development through following the established missions for the curriculum. © 2018 Ani Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
