Associations Between Professors’ Professional Ethics and Medical Students’ Self-Efficacy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors
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Maryam Nikbina
Department of Midwifery, Shoushtar Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shoushtar, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5838-5802
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Azam Jahangirimehr
Department of Public Health, Shoushtar Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shoushtar, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6044-2175
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Masoumeh Sayahi
Department of Midwifery, Shoushtar Faculty of Medical Sciences, Shoushtar, Iran.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9028-1816
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22100/ijhs.v12i6.1390Keywords:
Professional ethics, Self-efficacy, Medical studentsAbstract
Background: Professors’ professional ethics are considered an important component of the teaching–learning process and may be associated with students’ self-efficacy. In academic environments, adherence to principles such as educational justice, respect for individual differences, and student support can enhance motivation and strengthen confidence in personal abilities. Given the limited empirical evidence in medical sciences, this study aimed to examine the association between professors’ professional ethics and students’ self-efficacy.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the academic year 2022–2023 among 166 undergraduate students in the fourth semester and above from nursing, midwifery, emergency medicine, operating room, health, and nutrition programs at a faculty of medical sciences in Iran. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the Professors’ Professional Ethics of Teaching Questionnaire and the Sherer General Self-Efficacy Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis in SPSS version 21 (significance level: 0.05).
Results: A statistically significant positive association was observed between total professional ethics scores and students’ self-efficacy. Among the professional ethics dimensions, the learning dimension showed the strongest association with self-efficacy, while the evaluation dimension demonstrated the weakest association. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the learning dimension remained the only significant predictor of self-efficacy (β=0.238, P-value=0.002), explaining 24% of the variance.
Conclusion: Professors’ adherence to professional ethics—particularly attention to students’ characteristics and learning needs—was associated with higher levels of self-efficacy. Implementing targeted training programs and workshops on professional ethics for faculty members may contribute to improving educational quality and strengthening students’ confidence in their abilities.
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