An Investigation of "Perceived Feedback" in Clinical Education of Midwifery Students in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: The main purpose of education is to develop clinical competencies among the students of health sciences. Meaningful and constructive feedback is necessary to the learners to attain constructive knowledge. The goal of this study was to assess "the perceived feedback" by the midwifery students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Methods: We performed this descriptive cross-sectional study on 25 senior midwifery students studying at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2013-2014 academic years. Participants were selected through census and data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. Medical education specialists and midwifery experts assessed the content and face validity of the questionnaire and its reliability was measured through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α = 0.86). The five-point Likert Scale was used (Never=1, Rarely=2, Sometimes=3, Very Often=4, Always=5) in the questionnaire. The expected mean was considered 4 (above the average). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics tests, one-sample t-test and Anova. Results: 24 students of midwifery completed 180 questionnaires according to the classification of courses and instructors. The mean scores obtained for perceived feedback were 3.69±0.66 for the content of feedback area, 3.71±0.55 for the method of providing feedback, and 3.94±0.67 for the skills of providing feedback area. No significant difference was found between the different courses regarding the mean scores in different areas. Conclusion: The results showed that basic rules of providing feedback in all three areas of content, method, and skills of providing feedback were not implemented appropriately and at a desirable level. Therefore, it seems necessary to increase the instructors’ knowledge on the importance of presenting feedback and training them on appropriate methods of giving feedback in order to improve the quality of clinical education in midwifery.