Accordance Assessment of Structural and Environmental Elements of Iranian Medical Sciences Universities with the Corresponding Components of Third-millennium Universities: A National Study in a Developing Country

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Medical sciences universities should be accountable to the knowledge, attitudes, skills, and abilities of graduates; it is needed to investigate the structural and environmental components of universities in order to assess the accordance of these components with the third-millennium universities’ components. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we focus on accordance assessment of structural and environmental elements of Iranian medical sciences universities with the corresponding components of third-millennium universities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023. The population included all faculty members of universities of medical sciences in Iran in the academic year 2020–2021. The sample size was obtained using Morgan table and cluster random sampling. A reliable and valid researcher-made questionnaire was developed to collect the data based on the characteristics of higher education institutions in the third millennium (CVI > 0.79, CVR > 0.62, α =0.88). Statistical analysis was done in both descriptive and inferential methods by SPSS 25. RESULTS: The results showed that the highest mean score of population’s attitude toward structural components was attributed to faculty members (mean = 3.53), and the lowest mean score belonged to the curriculum (mean = 3.45). Besides, the results demonstrated that the highest mean score of attitudes toward environmental components was related to the university’s accountability (mean = 3.52). The findings also showed that there was a significant difference between the scores of faculty members’ attitudes (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results conveyed that the structural and environmental status of universities is not in line with developed universities. Of course, we should not be cynical about the challenges of these universities, but we should detect them and adopt logical and realistic strategies to deal with them. If these challenges are considered opportunities, they will surely motivate and promote the higher education system.