Iranian Journal of Medical Education

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Introduction: Faculty members, being in charge of cultivating students’ life-long learning capabilities, need a valid and reliable tool to assess self-directed learning readiness among them.The aim of this study was to examine assess reliability and construct validity of the Self Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS).for pre-internship medical and dentistry students. Methods: In a cross-sectional psychometric study, 335 pre-internship medical and dentistry students, studying in Islamic Azad University- Khurasgan and Najaf Abad branches, took the survey in 2008. The subjects completed Fisher’s Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale(SDLRS). The scale has 40 items in 3 subscales. Data were analyzed through using Spearman Brown correlation coefficient and confirmatory factor analysis by LISREL sofware. Results: The resulting SDLRS consisted of 40 items across the following three domains: Self-management, desire to learning, and self-control. The final model in confirmatory factor analysis revealed that 39 items indicated a good fit of model. The value of Cronbach’s Alpha showed that all of 3 factors have high internal consistency coefficients. Conclution: This scale is a valid and reliable instrument in assessing students’ readiness for self directed learning.

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Introduction: As a method of instruction in adult education, Self-directed Learning has been widely used in universities across the globe. This study aimed to validate Self-directed Learning Scale (SRSSDL) in Students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey study, 400 students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences completed a self-directed learning questionnaire including 60 items and 5 factors. The raw data was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and Principle Axis Factoring. Results: The results of principle axis factoring revealed that 53 out of 60 items of this scale were placed in 12 factors instead five. Seven items were eliminated due to lack of factoring effect. Conclusion: The results of the study affirmed high validity and reliability of this scale having 12 factors and 53 items.

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Introduction: In order to foster lifelong learning, abilities among students, faculties need to have an appropriate instrument to measure the SDLR abilities of medical students. The objectives of this study were to validate Guglielmino´s SDLRS to measure the SDL abilities of medical and dentistry students and to test the reliability of this instrument. Methods: In this cross-sectional study using the systematic sampling method, 355 pre-internship medical and dentistry students studying in Islamic Azad University- Khorasgan and Najaf Abad branches took the survey in 2009. The participants completed Guglilmino´s self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS). The scale has 58 items in 8 subscales. Data were analyzed through using Cronbach´s Alpha, Spearman- Brown, and Guttman correlation coefficients and confirmatory factor analysis by Lisrel software. Results: The resulting SDLRS consisted of 58 items across the following eight factors: Openness to learning opportunities, self-concept as an effective learner, initiation and independence in learning, informed acceptance of responsibility for one´s own learning, love of learning, creativity, ability to use basic study skills, and problem solving skills. The final model in confirmatory factor analysis reveald that 55 items indicated a good fit of model (RMR =0-0.08, RMSEA=0.063, p=0.000-0.003, df=0-35, χ2=0-86.81). The value of Cronbach´s Alpha showed that all 8 factors had suitable internal consistency coefficients and reliability was 0.94 for the whole scale. Conclusion: The Guglielmino´s self-directed learning readiness scale is a valid and reliable instrument for identifying SDLR abilities, skills and attitudes among medical and dentistry students.

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Introduction: Review of the literature indicates that few researchers have examined the issue of motivation in medical education context. Hence construction of appropriate measurement tools can be a step toward encouraging researchers to address this particular issue. This study examined psychometric characteristics of tools for measuring Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) and Perceived Motivational Climate Scale (EPCM) in medical students. Methods: A sample of 222 Iranian medical students completed Iranian versions of the EPCM, and IMI in a descriptive study. For assessing reliability of instruments, test-retest method and calculating Cronbach's alpha were used. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to confirm the factorial validity of tools. Results: After modification of the questions in both instruments, acceptable reliability coefficient was found. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that these tools have appropriate goodness of fitting indices. Conclusion: The modified IMI (i11 questions), and EPCM (16 questions) have appropriate reliability and validity for use in medical education.

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Introduction: Regarding the importance of ethics and specifically justice, the most basic concept in the realm of ethics, in designing curriculums and considering the importance of curricula in the development of the country, this study aimed to design novel scales to evaluate curricula in terms of ethics and justice.
Methods: This developmental and psychometric study was performed in the School of Nursing and Midwifery of Tabriz in the year 2018. To develop the initial scales, initially, the related literature was reviewed to define ethics, justice and curriculum, and then the Scale items were presented. To confirm the face and content validity of the scales, qualitative methods as well as descriptive statistics were used. Moreover, the reliability of the scales was computed via Inter-rater reliability coefficient (Kappa) and internal consistency method (Cronbach's alpha coefficient).
Results: Initially, the scales for the evaluation of ethics and justice were developed, each containing 25 and 39 items respectively. After quantitative and qualitative measurement of the face and content validity of the scales, the total number of the items in the scale of ethics increased to 28 items and that of justice declined to 32 items. The content validity of the whole scales based on S-CVI/Ave was 96.34 and 89.07 respectively. Moreover, the kappa coefficient of each scale was 0.87 and 0.81 and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.76 and 0/92 respectively.
Conclusion: In this study, the scales for the evaluation of the curriculum in terms of ethics and justice were developed, which can examine curriculum in terms of applying the required principles of healthcare ethics. It is recommended to use pilot scales in other educational environments.

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Introduction: Expectancy-Value-Cost Model represents three important components for predicting academic motivation. This study endeavored to explore the validity and reliability of the Expectancy-Value-Cost scale among the collegiate students.
Methods: As a descriptive-correlational study and to validate the questionnaire using Krejcie and Morgan's Table, 328 students of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences and Bu-Ali Sina University in the academic year of 2018 were selected through cluster random sampling. After translating the Expectancy-Value-Cost (EVC) Scale of Kosovich et al. to Persian, it was presented to students as a 10-item questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, content validity, internal consistency, and split-half reliability coefficient.
Results: Exploratory factor analysis extracted positive motivation and cost as the two major components of the scale. Moreover, the results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the construction. The content validity was 0.79 based on the CVI index. To examine the reliability of the scale, the Cronbach's alpha value for each of the factors was 0.79 and 0.76, respectively. The split-half reliability coefficient was computed 0.76.
Conclusion: Findings revealed that the student Expectancy-Value-Cost scale has good validity and reliability. Therefore, this instruments seems to be applicable for the future studies.