Evaluation of validity of midwifery special courses in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

BACKGROUND The aim of training midwifery student is to increase scientific and practical abilities in trainees in order to present caring health services. Then, the evaluation tools of these abilities have great importance. This study tried to evaluate the content validity, criterion validity and base validity of academic exams. METHODS This cross-sectional research was an evaluated type that has been done on 18 special theoretical courses of midwifery in 2 semesters in 2007-2008. The data gathered by checklists. The data about questionnaire and the result of analyzing exam questions (final and midterm) were compiled by 2 educating experts of medical education and 2 experts for each course. The data analyzed by SPSS software. For determining the base validity, spearman correlation test and for presenting descriptive results, distribution tables were applied. RESULTS The evaluation of 1013 questions showed that in 18 courses, in 61.18% of exams, more than 90% of questions had content validity and in 28.27% of exams, in more than 90% of questions, criterion validity had been considered. The results showed that in 92.38% of questions, content validity and in 80.45% of questions, criterion validity was considered. 11 courses out of 18 courses had base validity. CONCLUSIONS This survey showed that content validity of the exam questions in midwifery special theoretical courses was in favorable levels. But, the criterion validity of exam questions was far away from the ideal level. Then, education in each session can help the teachers achieve their exam purposes.