Mentors and Postgraduate Students Perception about Characteristics of Effective Education Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran

Background & Objective: Little attention has been paid to generating systematic evidencebased qualitative approaches to effective education This study aimed to explore postgraduate students and mentors view points experiences and perceptions about effective education and its related factors in Kerman University of Medical Sciences Iran Methods: In this qualitative study using content analysis method and purposive sampling 32 postgraduate students and 7 mentors were recruited An interview guide was used to collect data through focus groups via indepth interviews After obtaining verbal informed consent data were recorded transcribed and analyzed using content analysis method To ensure validity of the data the acceptability and confirmability criteria were utilized Results: Two main themes were extracted from the viewpoint of postgraduate students and the mentors the direct and indirect factors related to effective education Direct factors included the factors related to student mentor educational environment and motivation Indirect factors were national educational system evaluation system for students and economic factors Conclusion: Both postgraduate students and mentors believe that effective education is a complex issue and macrofactors such as educational system and microones such as mentors and students characteristics are important In addition there is inconsistency in students and the mentors perception about the roles of the other one mentors believe that this is the responsibility of the students to learn and be selfmotivated while the students mentione that this is mainly the mentor responsibility This is an important topic which should be considered for planning effective education