Exploring the Dimensions and Components of Accountable Education for the Rehabilitation Sciences Curriculum in Tehran Universities of Medical Sciences: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Objective: Training capable, committed and responsive graduates to the needs of society and the health system can be considered the most important mission of medical universities. In general, accountability to the community is one of the main priorities of the health education system, so if universities want to meet the needs of the community they cover, they must design their education system based on the needs and priorities of community health. The purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions and components of Accountable education for the rehabilitation sciences Curriculum in Tehran universities of Medical Sciences. Materials & Methods : This study was conducted with a qualitative approach to identify the dimensions and components of Accountable education  in Tehran universities of Medical Sciences in 2021 with the participation of 25 experts in the field of rehabilitation and using the method of content analysis through purposeful sampling. In order to collect data, semi-structured interviews of experts were used. The interview lasted between 45 minutes and 60 minutes and before the interview, the purpose of the study was explained to the participants. Data analysis based on Granheim method and also in order to evaluate the accuracy and robustness of the data, four criteria of acceptability, reliability, transferability and Guba and Lincoln verification were used. Results : The mission of Accountable education  is commitment to the direction of education, research and service delivery based on the priority needs and expectations of society, which is achieved by emphasizing the direct and continuous contact of students with society at various levels. After conducting the interviews, 6 dimensions and 21 components were identified as follows and were approved by experts in the form of brainstorming. Dimensions include:            1- Society 2- Higher health education system 3- University 4- Professor 5- Student 6- Curriculum and 21 components and 136 indicators were finalized Conclusion: The present study showed 6 general dimensions 1- Society 2- Higher health education system 3- University 4- Teacher 5- Student6-Curriculum as dimensions Accountable education play an important role in fulfilling the missions of third and fourth generation universities. The results of this study are expected to be used by institutional policymakers in the field of rehabilitation sciences in order to institutionalize Accountable education in the field of higher education in order to be able to effectively guide Curriculum towards meeting the needs and expectations of society. It is suggested that due to the importance of responsive education, more extensive studies in this field should be conducted at the level of medical universities in the country.