Factors affecting on academic failure from seniors’ viewpoints of professional doctoral students of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Objective: Academic failure is one of the problems of educational systems, especially universities of medical sciences, which imposes a lot of material and spiritual costs on educational systems, families, society, and the individual. Timely identification of factors affecting it, especially from the point of view of related people, can have an important role in preventing it. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of evaluation the factors affecting academic failure from the point of view of general doctoral students at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in the in 2014–2023 year Method: The present study was a descriptive and cross-sectional survey. The statistical population of the research included all general doctorate students (medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy) at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2018, numbering 474 people. According Morgan's Table, the sample size was determined 214, and its distribution was done in a proportional class based on the population of the studied groups. The participants in the research were selected by the convenience sampling method, following the inclusion and non-entry criteria. Academic failure was considered a decrease in the standard score (z score) of the previous semester score compared to the previous two semesters score of 1.4 or more. The data was collected using a standard questionnaire that included demographic information and 52 questions about factors affecting academic failure. Questions of questionnaire examined the degree of students' agreement on the factors affecting academic failure by a 5-point Likert scale ranging from very high to very low have. Questionnaires were completed by the self-report method in Porcelain software. Data analysis was done with descriptive statistics including an independent t-test, Levin's test, Friedman's test, multivariate covariance tests, and SRMR and NFI indices. Results: The research hypotheses that pre-educational factors, educational factors, psychological factors, and social and economic factors are effective in academic failure have been confirmed from the perspective of all students (P<0/05). In the comparison of the factors from the point of view of the two groups of students with academic failure and without educational failure, there was a significant difference only in the education factor (p<0/05). But there was no significant difference in before education factors, psychological factors, and social and economic factors (P>0/05). The ranking of factors affecting academic failure was different from the students’ point of view (P<0/05), and educational factors had the highest rank and socio-economic factors had the lowest rank among the factors affecting academic failure. Also, there was no significant difference in the ranking of factors affecting academic failure from the point of view of the two groups with academic failure and without academic failure (P>0/05). Conclusion: Due to the inappropriate effects of academic failure on educational systems, family, society and the individual himself, suitable solutions should be provided to identify and prevent it, and support measures should be considered for students exposed to academic failure and its subsequent effects. In the field of education, in addition to appropriate educational planning, professors should be empowered to use new education and assessments, and suitable educational and welfare facilities should be provided for students