@2024 Afarand., IRAN

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ISSN: 2228-5468    Education Strategies in Medical Sciences 2014;7(5):315-321

Background
… [1-6] One common method for evaluating the teachers is evaluation of the teachers’ teaching quality from the students’ viewpoint [7]. The most important components of teaching quality from the students’ viewpoints are oratory, teacher’s teaching skills and scientific ability, problem-solving for the students, intimate relationships with students, interest in research, conducting common researches, and teacher’s availability. Teacher’s observance of discipline and years of teaching are the less important characteristics from the students’ viewpoints [8-14]. … [15-17] Personality and scientific ability, professional behavior, inter-personal relationships, ability to make the content to be understood, lesson plan designing, and method of evaluation are the most important factors affecting the teachers’ teaching quality [10, 13, 18, 19]. … [20-21]
Previous Studies
The correlations between different variables in Humanities and especially in Health Sciences teaching have been studied many times and there are tendencies to evaluate the general fitting of a theoretical model through data collected from the understudied population [23].
Aim(s)
The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between the effective factors on teaching quality from the teachers’ viewpoints using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).
Research type
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study.
Research society, place and time
Selected teachers and faculty members of Medical Sciences universities in Tehran, Iran, were studied in 2013 using SEM method.
Sampling method and number
Sample size was estimated 420 persons, regarding 10% loss. Simple Random Sampling method was used. 24 questionnaires were eliminated due to incompleteness or no return. 396 questionnaires were collected.
Used devices&materials
As the basis of structural modeling, Siraj Teaching Quality questionnaire was used to investigate teaching quality. The questionnaire included “lesson plan”, “teaching implementation”, “teaching evaluation”, and “inter-personal relationships”. The variables were determined as latent in SEM. The questionnaire had 20 items. Based on 4-point Likert’s Scale, its response scale was from “very effective” to “ineffective” (maximum 4 scores and minimum 1 score) [24]. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using content validity method and experts’ comments. Its reliability has been confirmed based on Cronbach’s Alpha (0.76) [25]. To analyze structural equations model, the collected data were entered in Lisrel 8.8 software alongside data normalization. Before evaluating the assumptive structural model, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on all the latent factors, to make an acceptable and fitting measurement model and to investigate the markers in measuring the fundamental theoretical structure. Accordingly, two questions of the questionnaire were eliminated. After the mean scores had been computed for SEM, the correlation between the study items and the latent variables was made using primary concept model of the study and factor loading was obtained. Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index (AGFI), Chi Square, and the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) were used to investigate model fitting. Indices more than 90% showed the desired model fitting.
Findings by Text
From the teachers’ viewpoints, “interpersonal relationship” (mean score=3.68±0.046) was the most effective factor on the teaching quality enhancement. Mean scores of “lesson plan”, “teaching implementation”, and “teaching evaluation” were 3.29±0.065, 3.03±0.061, and 2.30±0.046, the highest to the lowest respectively. After path analysis had been done, the highest factor loadings of “lesson plan”, “teachers’ teaching”, “teaching evaluation”, and “inter-personal relationships” were related to the teachers teaching (0.11), teaching method (0.34), teaching (0.34), and teaching evaluation (0.36), respectively (Table 1). There was a significant correlation between the components of teaching quality. Regarding 0.78 RMSEA and more than 0.90 GFI and AGFI, the analysis modeling of structural relationship between the components of teaching quality had proper accuracy and good fitting.
Main comparison to the similar studies
… [26] Alongside teacher’s professional competencies, scientific ability, personality, and ethical characteristic of the teacher were noted by the students in effective teaching. The result is consistent with the results of other studies [24, 27, 28]. … [29] The teacher’s professional and scientific characteristics are noted by the students in evaluation of the teacher, rather than personal characteristic, though all the three characteristics have been evaluated important [30, 31]. The result is not consistent with the results of the present study that showed importance of the inter-personal relationships. However, the findings of the SEM showed that there might be more complex correlation between the components of teaching quality than the correlation has been shown in the studies. From the students and teachers’ viewpoints, the most important priorities are in teaching skills, teacher’s proficiency, and motivation and students’ participation in the topics, respectively. From the teachers’ viewpoints, communication skills and personal characteristics were the most important criteria. Factors such as teacher’s acceptance among students, administrative positions, teaching method, teacher’s stringencies, and teacher’s observance of discipline and educational regulations might affect the evaluation by the students [28]. Personal and professional characteristics and stimulation to the independent learning have been suggested as components evaluating the teaching quality [18]. This is consistent with the results of the present study. … [32-39]
Suggestions
Educational procedures and lesson contents ought to be revised and the teachers’ teaching quality should be noticed, in order to include personal factors and human skills effectively in the evaluation of teaching quality. The teachers’ evaluation process should be revised, in order to utilize more effective and qualitative methods. In addition, specialized trainings ought to be performed to enhance the teachers’ inter-personal skills. The teachers should use active teaching methods, since in these methods communications and inter-personal skills are more important than non-active methods. The study should be done in other universities to enhance the model credibility and to generalize the results of the present study.
Limitations
Time and place constraints were of the most important limitations for the present study. Due to the cross-sectional method of the study and using SEM, any generalization of the results ought to be done with care.
Conclusions
“Inter-personal relationship” is the most important component of teaching quality. In addition, SEM shows the correlation between different components of the teachers’ teaching and the interactions of the components. Therefore, the implementation of the model can trace and manifest the complexity of the correlations between the components.
Acknowledgments
The researchers feel grateful to the Health Economy and Management Sciences Research Center of Iran University of Medical Sciences.
Conflict of interest
There was no conflict of interests.
Ethical Permissions
Non-declared
Funding Sources
The study was not funded.

TABLES and CHARTS

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