Factors affecting academic achievement in face-to-face and virtual education from the perspective of students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences: A qualitative study

Abstract

Introduction: Academic progress is one of the most important criteria in assessing students' ability to complete university studies and reach the graduation stage. Medical science students, as the main recipients of educational services, are the best source for identifying medical or clinical education problems, as they have direct and indirect interaction with this process. Method: This study was conducted in the years 2022-2023 using qualitative content analysis at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. A total of 23 students from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were selected through purposive sampling, and their experiences and perspectives were used until reaching the saturation point of information. Semi-structured in-depth individual interviews were used to collect data, along with an interview guide. Content analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: Two general themes, "Facilitators of Academic Progress" and "Barriers to Academic Progress," were extracted in both face-to-face and virtual education sections. In the "Effective Instructors," "Appropriate Evaluation System," "Student Characteristics," "Suitable Learning Environment," and "Social Support" categories derived from 106 codes and 15 sub- during the data analysis, facilitators of academic progress were identified. Additionally, "Interdisciplinary Problems," "Undesirable Teaching," "Curriculum-Related Issues," "Educational System Problems," "Faulty Interpersonal Interactions," "Inappropriate Evaluation System," "Inadequate Facilities," "Socio-Economic Problems," "Personal-Family Issues," and "Insufficient Student Motivation" were obstacles to academic progress from the perspective of students in this study, derived from 155 codes and 25 sub- categories. In the virtual education section, "Teaching Flexibility," "Quality Improvement in Education," and "Student-Centered Education" were identified as facilitators of academic progress from categories extracted from 54 codes and 10 sub-categories. Additionally, "Educational Factors," "Technical and Technological Factors," "Economic Factors," and "Communication and Interaction Factors" from categories extracted from 62 codes and 14 sub-categories were identified as obstacles to academic progress. Conclusion: Since factors such as satisfaction with educational facilities, welfare, and academic motivation affect the quality of education, examining these variables from the perspective of students seems useful for formulating rules, providing appropriate facilities, planning for the training of capable students, selecting suitable educational and learning processes for learners. Furthermore, it seems that with the provision of virtual education infrastructure, proper culture of technology use, comprehensive access of students to necessary tools for attending virtual classes, empowerment of teachers in conducting virtual classes, and production of electronic content, along with other necessary conditions, virtual education can be more effective and serve as a modern and suitable alternative, and sometimes a good complement to traditional education.