Prioritizing Factors Affecting Students' Satisfaction with Educational Quality in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (2011-2012)

INTRODUCTION

Customer-focused ideas have been introduced to different fields of health, treatment and education for two decades. Today, customer’s idea provides a basis to evaluate processes and a method to enable people involved in service providing and decision making (1). In knowledge-based organizations, knowing the method of service providing is one of the most fundamental mechanisms of management and is of great importance. Customer satisfaction makes these organizations dynamic and promotes organizational goals (2). This fact is considered in the customer-oriented approach; the key element is to focus on the customer and quality (3). According to this approach, fulfilling customers’ needs is considered as the final result of goods and services, and it has seven criteria which “customer satisfaction” is the most important one (4).

Universities of medical sciences have a great mission to train efficient professionals to fulfil health-care needs of the society. In this regard, the student plays an important role. Investigating students’ opinions is one of the most important and necessary elements to evaluate the quality of educational services in the universities and the results can be useful to improve their efficiency (5). Students will form the key parts of organizations in the future. Therefore, students’ satisfaction affects their opinion about their field of study to encourage and improve quality of education (6). Nehring believes that students, as recipients of professional services, are the best sources to identify educational behavior of their teachers. Identifying educational issues of the students and taking measures to solve them helps reaching educational goals and training skilled people to provide high-quality health care services (7).

Studies show that the more educational aids are available to learners, the better they will learn compared to those in unsuitable environments (8). In this regard, study of Hassanzadeh et al. showed that most students believe that clinical education is significantly effective before entering hospital departments (9). Contradictory studies have been made about students’ satisfaction with educational aids. A study by Pejhan et al. regarding students’ satisfaction with educational services of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences in 2008 showed that the satisfaction level was moderate (10). In a study conducted in 2006 about students’ satisfaction in Liverpool University, students believed that the most emphasis is put on the education and the least is put on educational aids, and satisfaction level in more important sections was lower than less important ones (11). In a study regarding students’ satisfaction with services of Saddleback University in 2003, Hasoon concluded that students’ satisfaction level with educational services is 70% and with the university’s educational aids is 66% (12). Izadi et al. showed that only 40% of students were satisfied with the educational services (13). In another research by Mohammadian and Khanbabazadeh regarding students’ satisfaction level with different departments showed that education departments were scored moderate by students (14). In his study about satisfaction of students and teachers in graduate education with educational services, Siadat concluded that graduate 

students are unsatisfied with educational services in four fields of administrative, education, quality of accountability, and supervision and guidance and they believe that the educational administration’s efficiency was less than moderate. Determining satisfaction level in each field helps solving issues (16) and having descriptive information about students’ opinions is essential in order to make constructive changes, and using this information we can provide students with satisfaction (14,17). Thus, the purpose of current study was to investigate students’ satisfaction level with educational services in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, which leads to improvement of educational services and efficiency and increase in students’ satisfaction level and university’s national rank. In this study, students’ satisfaction level was investigated in six fields of classroom physical conditions and educational aids, laboratory and practice rooms, educational administration, field training and internship, library and online resources, and teaching methods.

METHODS

This is a descriptive-analytical study. As used in similar studies, the data gathering tool was a researcher made questionnaire consisted of 54 questions (demographic features and questions regarding satisfaction with educational services).

This questionnaire was based on Likert-style with a five-point scale (excellent=5, very weak=1). Average satisfaction of 1 to 2 was defined as very low to low, 2 to 3 as low to moderate, 3 to 4 as moderate to high, and 4 to 5 as high to very high.

The questions address six main criteria regarding educational satisfaction, including classroom physical condition and educational aids, laboratory and practice rooms, educationaladministration, field training and internship, library and online resources, and teaching methods. To estimate validity of this questionnaire, comments of 10 researcher faculty members were used and Cronbach’s alpha test was used to determine reliability, which was valid (α=0.82). After determining sample size, more experienced students were preferred to be participated, therefore all students involved in this study were interns. The population includes 3200 students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. Stratified random method was used for sampling. Sample size was determined using Krejcie and Morgan Table and considering variables, the estimation was 400 people; 312 from 400 questionnaires were given back by students. For data analysis and to determine descriptive parameters, SPSS-Ver.16 was used. Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to determine normal or non-normal state of the data. Since the data were non-normal (P<0.05), to compare satisfaction level in six mentioned criteria in males and females, Mann-Whitney U Test, and between different fields and faculties, Kruskal-Wallis Test was used (αα=0.05).

Students’ satisfaction level with classroom physical conditions and educational aids was moderate to good (3.11±1.7); 13.1% of all students had very poor, 15.7%  

RESULTS

poor, 26.9% moderate, 35.3% good, and 9% excellent satisfaction. Satisfaction level with laboratory and practice rooms was moderate to low (2.91±1.07); 13.1% of all students had very poor, 19.4% poor, 35.7% moderate, 27.3% good and 4.5% excellent satisfaction. Satisfaction level with educational administration was moderate (3.02±1.11); 12.8% of all students had very poor, 16.2% poor, 33.5% moderate, 31.4% good and 6.1% excellent satisfaction. Satisfaction level with field training and internship was moderate to low (2.94±1.21); 15.7% of all students had very poor, 14.4% poor, 27.9% moderate, 32.1% good, and 9.9% excellent satisfaction. Satisfaction level with library and online resources was moderate to low (2.49±1.18); 26.4% of all students had very poor, 23.8% poor, 28.8% moderate, 16.1% good and 4.9% excellent satisfaction. Satisfaction level with teaching method was moderate to low (3.12±1.11); 10.9% of all students had very poor, 15.3% poor, 34% moderate, 30.7% good, and 9.1% excellent satisfaction.

Descriptive and analytical parameters regarding satisfaction level of students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences are mentioned in tables 1 and 2.

DISCUSSION

Results showed that students’ satisfaction level with classroom physical conditions and educational aids was moderate to good (3.11±1.7). Although satisfaction level is rather appropriate, since classroom physical conditions and  

educational aids are important factors affecting the learning process, it is essential to put more effort into their improvement. It is obvious enough that the more educational aids are available to learners, the better they will learn compared to those in unsuitable environments (8). Hassanzadeh et al. showed that most students believe that clinical education is significantly effective before entering hospital departments (9). This satisfaction level showed significant difference between females and males,faculties, fields and degrees (P<0.001). This difference seems to be due to each group’s different expectations.The reason of significant difference between females and malescan be the different tastes and opinionsabout classroom physical conditions and educational aids. Results of this study are in accordance withothers. Pejhan et al. showed that in most fields, students’ satisfaction level is rather moderate (10). Also, a study by Douglas et al. showed thatstudents believed that the most emphasis is put on the education and the least is on educational facilities and aids and satisfaction level in more important parts was lower than less important ones (11). Hasoon showed that satisfaction level with educational services is 70%, with facilities is 66% and with environment safety is 70% (12).

Results of current study showed that satisfaction level with the laboratory and practice rooms is moderate to low 2.91±1.07. Since it is essential for a university with a high research level to have an equipped laboratory, it is necessary