The relationship between Students' Perceptions of Curriculum Components and Their Academic Enthusiasm

Background & Objectives: Given the fact that students’ perception of curriculum components and their academic enthusiasm are among the most important factors affecting academic achievement of students in the higher education system, this research aimed to evaluate the relationship between students' perceptions of curriculum components and their academic enthusiasm. Materials and Methods: This descriptive correlational research was conducted on all students studying in schools of nursing, midwifery, and health of Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran in 2016. The sample size was estimated at 230 using the table by Krejcie & Morgan. In addition, subjects were selected via random sampling, and data were collected applying the questionnaire of students’ perception of curriculum components and academic enthusiasm scale. Moreover, data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20 using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and independent t-test. Results: In this research, a positive and significant association was found between all curriculum components and academic enthusiasm. In other words, academic enthusiasm could be predicted based on curriculum components (f=29.81, P=0.0001). However, no significant relationship was observed between students of different fields in terms of academic enthusiasm. On the other hand, there was a significant difference between male and female students in this regard (t=2.33, P=0.021). Conclusion: According to the results of the study, a positive and significant relationship was observed between all curriculum components and academic enthusiasm of the subjects. Therefore, it is recommended that applying interesting educational methods, training various evaluation techniques, and designing efficient and up-to-date contents be considered in this respect.