[Making innovation in teaching measurable : Psychometric validation of the "Radio-Prak": a questionnaire using the example of a clinical practical seminar in interventional radiology].

BACKGROUND

As part of the reform of medical education with a stronger focus on clinical-practical skills, a restructured seminar on interventional radiology was evaluated using a newly developed questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES

Because knowledge in medical education is increasingly transferred by means of application-based teaching formats, a suitable evaluation tool is essential to assess the quality of newly implemented teaching courses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seminar on interventional radiology and to validate the "Radio-Prak" questionnaire psychometrically in the process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the summer semester of 2018, 123 students participating in the newly established seminar were asked to document their satisfaction using the "Radio-Prak" questionnaire with 23 items employing a 5-point Likert scale. We evaluated the questionnaire psychometrically by performing exploratory factor (EFA) and reliability analysis and examined differential validity by group differences.

RESULTS

The newly structured seminar on interventional radiology was met with great approval by students (mean global rating = 1.31, on a grading scale where 1 = very good, 5 = insufficient). EFA revealed that the questionnaire consisted of two main factors "didactic quality" and "practical quality" (five items each, α = 0.68). The seminar was rated more positively when students perceived the time for practice as sufficient (p < 0.05). Furthermore, female students demonstrated significantly less self-esteem, identified by the item "I have improved my spatial ability through the seminar," (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The "Radio-Prak" questionnaire is both reliable and valid as an instrument to evaluate the quality of a clinical-practical seminar. The students assessed the didactic dimension, but also rated the practical component as important in the assessment.