Nationalization of an educational reform: evolution of training and development in research

Background:

Many medical universitiesaround the world have donestunning changes in the recent years.Some of these changes have been performed with the support of international organizations.They changed the traditionaltrainingprograms based on teacher- centered learning and disciplined approach to the educational course based on community needs responsivity and Student-centered learning. This process is aimed to integrate research and education; make apolicy to improve course as an educational mini reform and also as an ecological  and practical experience.In other words, the major aim of this process is to merge education and research in the curriculum in order to facilitate learning in student-centered learning method and then promote research culture focused on students.

Material and Methods:

-      Explanation to motivate chair mans for performance of these strategies

( propose in the college research committee)

-      Allot a part of lesson score for research  (3-5 score),  10% of total  course plan score can be changed by the professors after university permission.

-      Offer proposed title to student by the professors in three lessons (social psychology, mental health and epidemiology) and performance of them in three semester.

-      Offer  pertinentcriteria including research, article and congress to select excellent students.

-      Justification and advertisement for importance of research in the college. ( offer it in the educational council, educational qualification research committee; and frequently seminars for the target groups).

-      Solicit students to contribute in different student research committees.

-      Offer workshops such as introducing different type of research, writing proposals, working with explorer engines, advanced information technology by professors and assistance of students.

-      Completing proposals and deliver to the student research committee.

-      Assessing student team working step by step and reflect to modify by specialist and    responsive professors and also to implement research process correctly.

-      Lead the students to write standard articles.

-      Support the students to send articles for national and international congress.

-      Assessing students learning rate in relative course.

-      evaluating and compare research indices.  

Results:

This reform was planned for three groups of students receiving social psychology,mental health and epidemiology courses. The quality of this plan was good(55%), moderate (33%) and poor (12%) according to students point of view.  68% of students satisfied of implementation of this educational method.

Results also revealed  according to the effects of this plan on basis, goals and students learningthat mean score of psychology and mental health coursesis higher in the experimental groupthan the control group ( the previous course students), but it was only significant in mental health course.It is necessary to mention that due to uncompleted epidemiology course, it was impossible to analyze the data.

Results of researchportion:

-       20 articles for poster and 3 articlesfor oral presentation offeredin National and international  Congresses.

-       28 research proposals offered by students and promotion  of university researchranking.

-       University improvement in research to upper six grade and university promotion in student research committee.

-       University promotion in research and research grading.

-       Students satisfaction and tendency to continue this method for initiation of scientific research.

Conclusion:

It is obvious that involving students in various activities such as research is anonerous  method and may face many difficulties, butinform and encourage students in different fields despite itslackage or deficit can provide better groundwork for this plan. However, public assistance, move in a certain direction, and avoidance of being individualistis necessary.