Comparative study of the points of view of undergraduate and postgraduate about the teaching quality of faculty members in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The quality of teaching is one of the most important indicators of decision-making regarding promotion of academic rank, basic promotion, extension of contract, conversion of faculty members' employment status in different medical schools. Appropriate evaluation of teaching quality can be an effective step in making the right decisions about the mention processes. This study aimed to compare the undergraduate and post graduate points of view about the teaching quality of staffs they were exposed to them and also evaluate the effect of factors such as academic ranking, teaching experience and full timing on teaching quality. METHODS: In this analytical cross sectional study all faculty members were considered as the target population. Stratified sampling based on academic groups was done. Teaching quality survey questionnaire was used to measure the staff´s teaching quality. Data were analyzed using paired t-test and multivariate analysis variance using SPSS software (11.5). FINDINGS: The mean+SD of quality of teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate points of view were 81.90+9.24 and 74.10+9.32 respectively and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.01). Full-timing (P=0.01) and the staffs gender (P=0.01) were two effective factors on teaching quality. Bonferoni test showed that in postgraduate students there was no significant difference in the mean of comments in any of the factors but at the undergraduate level, there was a significant difference in teaching quality based on teaching experience (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Teaching experience is an influential factor on teaching quality, especially in general education. This important issue should be considered in educational planning.