ARTICLE INFO

Article Type

Original Research

Authors

Dehghani   A. (*)
Baharlou   R. (1 )
Ben Razi Ghabesh   A. (2 )
Farokh Abadi   F. (2 )
Zarei   Z. (2 )
Mahboudi   L. (2 )






(*) Nursing Department, Nursing & Midwifery School, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
(1 ) Immunology Department, Medicine School, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran
(2 ) Nursing & Midwifery School, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran

Correspondence

Article History

Received:  September  6, 2013
Accepted:  February 15, 2014
ePublished:  July 7, 2014

BRIEF TEXT


Evaluation of the students’ satisfaction is effective on educational process and its quality and shows level of students’ interest to learning and teaching [1-3]. Academic satisfaction is an effective factor in education including the students’ understanding of the educational programs, needed conditions for study, and teacher’s behavior and guide [4]. The way of formation of academic satisfaction is ambiguous since there are few studies regarding this important factor [5]. The life satisfaction factor is considered due to lack of information to identify academic satisfaction [5, 6]. Academic satisfaction might be considered as a component of life satisfaction, which includes an aspect of each student’s viewpoint about her personal comprehension of academic environment [7]. … [8] Some factors such as educational plan and team [9], personal characteristics such as sex, ethnicity, age, and personal expectations [10-12], and academic factors such as educational level [2] might affect academic satisfaction.

There are few researches regarding medical students’ academic satisfaction in Iran and other countries. However, some studies have been done on some effective factors such as social status and income effects on academic satisfaction [13-15]. Other researches have been done on characteristics of a good teacher, the balance between theoretical and practical education, discipline, and using educational aids to enhance the students’ satisfactions [14, 16, 17]. Some other studies have shown a correlation between academic satisfaction and academic progress [4, 8, 18-20]. In addition, the correlation between motivations, personality of each student, and academic progress and academic satisfaction has been emphasized [21-25]. … [26]

The aim of this study was to determine the effective factors on academic satisfaction from students’ viewpoints.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Medical, Nursing, and Paramedical (laboratory sciences, anesthesiology, operating room, and health) students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were studied in 2012.

Census sampling method was applied for students’ participation. Therefore, every student of the research environment, who was willing to participate in the study, was studied. The questionnaires were distributed between all the students (700 persons), 315 questionnaires were finally completed and collected.

To collect data, a researcher-made questionnaire of academic satisfaction was used, which was designed in two parts consisting of demographic questions (sex, marital status, educational level, and field of study) and questions about effective factors on medical students’ academic satisfaction. Using 44-question questionnaire, the effective factors on students’ academic satisfaction, including the followings, were evaluated [27]: • Personal factor (with 4 questions; zero and 16 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) • Educational and research factor (with 18 questions; zero and 72 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) • Moral and psychological factor (with 6 questions; zero and 24 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) • Managerial and administrative factor (with 5 questions; zero and 20 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) • Hardware and welfare facilities factor (with 6 questions; zero and 24 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) • Job and professional factor (with 5 questions; zero and 20 scores as minimum and maximum scores, respectively) The questionnaire was designed, based on Likert’s five-score scale, as ‘fully agree’, ‘agree’, ‘no idea’, ‘disagree’, and ‘ fully disagree’ numbered from zero (‘fully disagree’) to 4 (‘fully agree’). Therefore, the questionnaires were distributed between students and data were entered based on scores of every factor, maximum possible score of every factor was successively multiplied by 33% (the low correlation between the factor and academic satisfaction), 66% (the medium correlation between the factor and academic satisfaction), and 100% (the high correlation between the factor and academic satisfaction). Then, the scores of each factor were divided into three parts; and based on students’ average viewpoints on every factor, their viewpoints were categorized in low, medium, and high parts regarding the correlation with academic satisfaction. The questionnaire designed through study of scientific books and papers on students’ academic satisfaction and validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by 10 university teachers. Through completing the questionnaire by 20 eligible students and using Cronbach’s Alpha, its reliability was confirmed (Alpha coefficient=0.94). Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 software and descriptive statistics.

225 persons (71.4%) were female. 226 persons (71.7%) were unmarried. 130 persons (41.3%), 125 persons (39.7%), and 60 persons (19.0%) were of second, first, and third academic years, respectively. 106 persons (33.6%), 64 persons (20.3%), 53 persons (16.8%), 41 persons (13.0%), 28 persons (8.9%), and 23 persons (7.3%) were nursing, laboratory sciences, anesthesiology, operating room, health, and medical students, respectively. From the students’ viewpoints, the most important effective factors on academic satisfaction were ‘using expert teaching staff for the courses’, ‘induction of confidence by the university teachers and administrators’, and ‘good relationship with mutual respect between students and the university teachers’, respectively. From the students’ viewpoints, the least significant effective factors on academic satisfaction were ‘morning classes’, ‘lecture presentation method’, and ‘sufficient motivation given by the university teachers to the students’, respectively (Table 1). The effects of moral and psychological factor (89.8%), managerial and administrative factor (85.4%), job and professional factor (84.4%), hardware and welfare factors (82.2%), educational and research factor (80.6%), and personal factor (74.9%) on academic satisfaction were subsequently evaluated ‘high’ by the students.

Experienced university teachers play an important role in academic progress of the students which is consistent with the results of this study [28]. The less level of learning and academic satisfaction for the students through lecture method than discussion method [15] is consistent with the present results. … [29-37] In addition, there is more academic satisfaction in problem-based learning approach, which makes more time to study for the students, than lecture method [38], which is consistent with the results of the present study. According to the results of the present study, sufficient motives in the students, given by the university teachers, cannot highly affect the students’ academic satisfaction. This is inconsistent with the results of a study in which it has been reported a direct and significant correlation between motives and academic progress [39], and also, with the results of another study which has been reported a significant correlation between educational target achievement and different factors of academic motivation [40]. … [41]

Due to the importance of identification of the effective factors on the students’ academic satisfaction, considering differences in ethnicity, cultures, subcultures, and educational levels of the learners in different societies, some studies ought to be done in different universities and societies. In addition, due to the effect of different moral and psychological aspects on academic progress and satisfaction, more considerations on the issues should take into account by the university managers.

The study was done only on the students of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, and any results generalization has to be done cautiously.

The most important effective factors on academic satisfaction, from the students’ viewpoints, are ‘using expert teaching staff for the courses’, ‘induction of confidence by the university teachers and administrators’, and ‘having a good relationship with mutual respect between students and the university teachers’. In addition, ‘moral and psychological’ factor is identified as the most important effective factor on the students’ academic satisfaction.

The researchers feel grateful to the students, who participated in the study, and Research Deputy of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences.

Non-declared

All procedures were approved by Moral Council and Research Council of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences with ethical approval No. 543/A/D.

Research Deputy of Jahrom University of Medical Sciences funded the study.

TABLES and CHARTS

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