Journal of Dental Medicine

Background and Aims: Dental students’ evaluation of teachers’ educational activity is crucial for the improvement of dental school’s performance. The process of the evaluation needs a valid and reliable tool. This study aimed to produce and validate a questionnaire for the evaluation of dental school teachers by students.

Materials and Methods: A group of 15 teachers in the Shahid Beheshti dental school gave their opinions regarding the characteristics of an ideal teacher using nominal group technique. These characteristics together with characteristics gathered from similar studies made the base of a questionnaire which later underwent a validity and reliability assessment by means of the calculation of Content Validity Index (CVI), Content Validity Ratio (CVR), and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.

Results: The preliminary questionnaire included 94 items in four categories naming: ethics, educational capability, practical capability, and managemet. After calculating CVR and CVI for each item, 23 items with CVR<0.33 and 20 items with CVI<0.79 have been excluded from the questionnaire leaving a questionnaire with 54 items. The overall reliability of this questionnaire using Chronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.96.

Conclusion: Consulting an expert group that are familiar with different aspects of educational performance of faculty teachers, it was concluded that applying various methods for validity and reliability, and considering local culture values are useful for the preparation of the questionnaire for similar studies in Iran.

Background and Aims: Emotional intelligence helps dental students better manage stress and establish effective communication with patients, while self-efficacy strengthens their confidence in performing clinical tasks and acquiring professional skills. The connection between these two factors leads to improved academic and professional performance. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and academic success among dental students.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 55 dental students from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences - Iran, selected by convenient sampling. To measure academic self-efficacy beliefs, the Sherer questionnaire was used, which consisted of 17 questions with a theoretical score range of 17-85. To measure emotional intelligence, the Bar-On questionnaire was used, consisting of 90 questions with a theoretical score range of 90-450. Academic achievement was assessed using the students' grade point average (GPA). Additionally, gender, living at home or in a dormitory, and parental education levels were considered as background variables. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: Among the 55 students who participated in this study, including 30 women and 25 men, the average emotional intelligence score was 84.85, the average self-efficacy score was 62.02, and the average GPA was 16.42. There was a significant difference in the emotional intelligence scores based on gender and living situation, with male students scoring higher than female students and dormitory residents scoring higher than those living at home (P=0.02). There was no significant difference in the self-efficacy scores and GPA between males and females. Students whose mothers had higher levels of education and those living at home had higher GPAs (P<0.03). No statistically significant relationship was found between the academic success and emotional intelligence or self-efficacy (P>0.05).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that while emotional intelligence and self-efficacy may not directly influence academic success, other factors like living environment and parental education can play a role. Understanding these dynamics can help educators focus on holistic student development, addressing not just academic skills but also personal and social factors that contribute to student performance and well-being.