Factors Influencing Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Perception of Educational Quality

Abstract

Context: Quality education is a contemporary concern. Students' evaluations of teaching (SET) are universal measures applied in almost every higher educational system in the world.
Aim: The present study aims to explore student perception of factors that influence educational quality among undergraduate nursing students.

Methods: A survey research design was utilized to achieve the aim of this study. The study was conducted in the obstetrics and gynecology classroom. Faculty of Nursing, El-Minia University. The study subjects consisted of all 3rd year nursing students (male & female) who registered in Obstetrics & Gynecological course (the total number was 125 students) during the academic year 2017- 2018. Three tools were used to achieve the aim of this study; they are student achievement records, students' evaluation of educational quality scale, and factors affecting educational quality scale (FAEQS).

Results: This study revealed that students' perception of the components of educational quality named learning experience, instructor rapport, enthusiasm, and tests grading, organization and clarity, theoretical breadth coverage, group interaction, and course texts and reading materials. The students also ranked course organization, examination system, student communication and group dynamics, availability of course materials, instructor performance, and academic values as top factors that could affect their educational quality. Conclusion: Obstetrics and gynecology students' perceived factors that affected the provision of quality education were explored, incorporating four categories named the organization, student, instructor, and course-related factors. The study recommended that all institutions and departments use self-evaluation as an essential tool in striving for educational quality and consider the students' perception of factors that might affect their educational quality. Further research is expected to shed light on the number of higher-order factors that could affect educational quality.