Prediction of Active Learning by Evaluating the Components of Competency and Teaching Quality in the Students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

Background & Objective: Competency and teaching quality of professors play a key role in the quality of active learning in students. The present study aimed to predict the components of competency and teaching quality of professors regarding active learning in the students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, 359 students were selected via stratified random sampling, and Cochran’s formula was used to determine the sample size. Validity of three questionnaires was assessed using content validity and face validity, and the reliability was determined at the Cronbach’s alpha of 0.853 for the questionnaire of professors’ competency, 0.894 for the questionnaire of teaching quality, and 0.938 for the questionnaire of active learning in students. Data analysis was performed using parametric tests. Results: Variables of professors’ competency, teaching quality, and active learning in students were estimated to be above average at the significance level of 0.001 in the affiliated schools. A significant association was observed between teaching quality and professors’ competency at the significance of 0.001 and correlation-coefficient of 0.65. In addition, there was a significant association between teaching quality and active learning at the significance of 0.001 and correlation-coefficient of 0.61. Our findings indicated a linear correlation between the variables of competency and teaching quality compared to active learning (F=126.958; P=0.0001). Conclusion: According to the results, there seems to be a significant correlation between teaching quality and professors’ competency, which could predict the level of active learning in students 39 Aligolbandi Bytamar et al Journal of Medical Education Development , Vol 10, No 27 Autumn, 2017 Introduction Nowadays, the competitive atmosphere of academic education environments has created new needs for the beneficiaries, including the students, employers, and community members. Academic education institutions must be able to address these needs by different approaches. One of the important methods for universities to address such needs involves increasing academic activities and recruiting competent professors and faculty members (1, 2). Eisler believes that the quality of teaching plays a pivotal role that should be taken into account as part educational objectives in universities, which is the result of optimal learning quality and is defined as promoting effective learning opportunities for students in educational centers (3). According to Marsh et al., teaching quality refers to the effective teaching in the viewpoint of students and faculty members, which consists of overall components such as teaching and learning and mostly relates to higher education opportunities. Some scholars believe that evaluating the quality of education is in fact examining the efficacy of teaching activities, including teaching, designing a lesson plan, motivation, class management, evaluation of the students’ personality and behaviors in class, and evaluation of professors’ scientific efficiency (4). Competencies of faculty members are among the main influential factors in the teaching performance in universities (5). In psychology, competency is defined as the incentive or prominent skills that result in the better professional performance. Mirabel and Richard state that to select the most competent individuals, attention must be paid to their abilities, behavioral indications, beliefs, personality traits, attitudes, and skills (6). In fact, competencies represent a pattern that shows the superior performance of the individual in the assigned job (7). In this regard, Angels Silva claims that the educational propaganda for the training of teachers and professors should create the necessary competencies on every level. Academic institutions must play a more active role in developing the knowledge and skills of professors. Furthermore, these institutions should ensure that their professors acquire specialized knowledge, teaching skills, and methods of applying educational technology to determine educational strategies, while demonstrating adequate competency (8). Wong Ei states that the competencies of professors lead to rational thinking, effective communication, success, responsibility, Evaluation of the predictive factors of competence and the quality of teaching to student`s active learning 40 Journal of Medical Education Development , Vol 10, No 27 Autumn, 2017 creativity, and innovation, as well as encouraging learning in students (9). In learning, it is of utmost importance to stimulate the ability of the profound understanding and analysis of the educational contents in students (10). Therefore, the behaviors and performance of professors as part of teaching quality could result in achieving educational goals and effective learning in students. In this regard, active learning has been a major concern among researchers. Active learning refers to a broad spectrum of learning strategies for the active participation of the learners in the process of learning (12). In a learner-oriented approach, active learning could result in meaningful learning, through which learners would be able to construct new knowledge effectively (13). This approach stimulates the higher thinking levels in learners, so that they could be actively involved in the process of education. The aim of active learning is to lead learners toward the inner pleasure of learning, motivating them to discover truths and replace external thinking with rational thinking (14). According to the literature, competency and teaching quality in professors are among the most significant influential factors in the learning of students (15-17). In a study by Keshavarz, teaching quality could predict educational progress in students (18). In another research, Piri and Ghobadi concluded that there are significant correlations between the active learning pragmatics, educational performance, and self-efficiency (19). According to the findings of Gheibi, strategies should be adopted to make the teaching styles and methods of professors suitable to the specific learning style of every major in order to achieve optimal education and enable students to acquire the basics of their educational field, thereby applying their knowledge in the future (20). In another study, Ohelsen reported that the teaching quality of professors could improve the educational outputs of students. According to the researcher, efficiency is a qualitative feature in professors, which enhances the teaching ability of the professors and learning of students (21). Joe defines a framework for the competency of professors, which emphasizes on the significance of their capabilities and personality in their teaching quality. He believes that self-efficiency, interest, and beliefs and values are among the main personal features of professors, while teaching experience, proper academic education, and holding a relevant educational 41 Aligolbandi Bytamar et al Journal of Medical Education Development , Vol 10, No 27 Autumn, 2017 degree remarkably affect the quality of teaching in professors (22). In their research, Darling Hammond et al. investigated the association of teaching quality of professors and students’ progress, concluding that professors with poor teaching quality and competency cause academic failure in students (23). The aforementioned studies have assessed the correlations between the teaching quality and competency of professors with the educational outputs such as educational progress and learning. However, no studies have focused on the effects of these variables on the active learning of students. Active learning has attracted the attention of researchers as an essential output considering that most learners only attempt to memorize educational contents or extract them directly from texts due to the current teaching-learning approaches and evaluation systems. Consequently, most learners are not accustomed to interpret educational contents based on their personal creativity and intellectual reproduction through the combination, assessment, and organization of textual elements (24). Considering the direct effects of the professors’ teaching quality and competency on the learning efficiency of students, it is necessary to develop and apply proper standards to evaluate the competency of professors in universities accordingly. These standards could be used in the recruitment and promotion of professors with high competency, so teaching quality and quality of the outputs of the higher education institutions would improve. In addition, the quality of education could increase by paying attention to the quality of teaching, competency of professors, and active learning of students simultaneously. For the first time in the University of Mazandaran (Iran), the present study aimed to assess whether the competency and teaching quality of professors could predict active learning in students. Materials and Methods This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on all the students at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Mazandaran, Iran (n=5,461) in the second semester of the academic year 2014-2015. Participants were selected via stratified random sampling based on their school. Sample size was determined using the Cochrane’s formula, with 95% confidence interval and error rate of 5%. Final sample size was determined at 354 students (25). Evaluation of the predictive factors of competence and the quality of teaching to student`s active learning 42 Journal of Medical Education Development , Vol 10, No 27 Autumn, 2017 Participants were selected from the students in the schools of medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, health, Sari School of Nursing and Midwifery, paraclinical sciences, Amol School of Nursing, Behshahr School of Nursing, and Ramsar Independent Campus. Data collection tools were three questionnaires of pr