The purpose of this study was to examine if Likert scales had been properly utilized in community nutrition research. A total of 527 research articles published in the 32 issues of Korean Journal of Community Nutrition from the volume 5, issue 1 in 2000 to the volume 10, issue 2 in 2005 were screened and 55 articles were found to have utilized one or more Likert scales for the studies. Therefore, 109 Likert scales used in the 55 studies were reviewed regarding the name, statement and response items, reliability and validity check, and analysis method. The scales were mostly referred as Likert scales (60%) or Likert-type scales (27%). Some scales were found to be referred as Likert scales although they were Likert-type scales when judged based on the information given in the respective articles. However some scales couldn't be judged for the rightness of the names because the information given for the scales in the articles was not enough. About 23% of the scales consisted of items less than 6 or more than 30, and therefore found to be inappropriate. The percentage of the scales listing all the statement items in the articles was only 25%. Most of the scales (85%) included 5 response items, and the rest included 4 (7%), 7 (6%), or 3 (2%). The percentages of the scales including appropriate center and end items were only 2% and 22%, respectively. Less than half of the scales (41%) were found to have been checked for reliability and only one scale was reported to have been checked for validity. In some scales (6%), the responses were scored improperly for analysis. The responses to the scales were frequently found to have been analyzed by parametric statistics such as mean, ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson's correlation, which might be a problem depending on the size and distribution of study samples. In conclusion, there is much room for improvement in the use of Likert scales in community nutrition research.
Reproducibility of Results ; Weights and Measures

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate Chinese female marriage immigrants' dietary life after immigration to Korea, focusing on comparison between Han-Chinese (traditional Chinese) and Korean-Chinese (Chinese of Korean descent). METHODS: An in-person survey was conducted with women married to Korean men, having one child or more aged 1-6 years old, and having resided in Korea for at least one year before the survey. The data were collected from the 309 respondents comprising 151 Han-Chinese and 158 Korean-Chinese in the summer of 2013. RESULTS: Overall, there was no significant difference in dietary practice, dietary acculturation, dietary behavior, dietary habits, and food intake between the Han-Chinese and the Korean-Chinese respondents. Over 50% of the respondents ate Korean food every day. The overall level of dietary acculturation was about 3.5 out of 5 points. The average score of healthy dietary behavior was a little bit higher than 3 out of 5 points. Approximately 3/4 of the respondents showed increasing frequency of eating out. The respondents reporting increase food diversity were over 70%. Decreased frequency of skipping meal was about 60% of the respondents. Over 50% of the respondents showed increasing consumption of Kimchi, vegetables, fruit, and meat. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary life of Korean-Chinese female marriage immigrants was similar to that of Han-Chinese female marriage immigrants after immigration to Korea. The results from this study suggest that not only Han-Chinese but also Korean-Chinese should be targeted in various diet-related acculturation support programs as important multicultural populations in Korea.
Acculturation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Child ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Eating ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Emigration and Immigration* ; Female ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Marriage* ; Meals ; Meat ; Vegetables

PURPOSE: This study conducted a needs assessment for developing teaching competencies of medical educators by assessing their perceived ability to perform teaching competencies as well as their perceived importance of these competencies. Additionally, this study examined whether there were any differences in needs assessments scores among three faculty groups. METHODS: Hundred and eighteen professors from Dong-A University College of Medicine were surveyed, and the data from 44 professors who answered all the questions were analyzed using IBM SPSS 21. The needs assessment tool measured participants' perceived ability to perform teaching competencies and perceived importance of these competencies. The Borich formula was used to calculate needs assessment scores. RESULTS: The most urgent needs for faculty development were identified for the teaching competencies of "diagnosis and reflection," followed by "test and feedback," and "facilitation." Additionally, two, out of 51, items with the highest needs assessment scores were "developing a thorough course syllabus" and "introducing students to the course syllabus on the first day of class." The assistant professor group scored significantly higher on educational needs related to "facilitation," "affection and concern for students," and "respect for diversity" competencies than the professor group. Furthermore, the educational needs scores for all the teaching competencies except "diagnosis and reflection," "global mindset," and "instructional management" were higher for the assistant professor group than the other two faculty groups. CONCLUSION: Thus, the educational needs assessment scores obtained in this study can be used as criteria for designing and developing faculty development programs for medical educators.
*Education, Medical ; Faculty, Medical/*standards ; Female ; Humans ; *Needs Assessment/standards ; *Professional Competence ; Republic of Korea ; Schools, Medical ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Teaching/*standards ; Universities

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore students’ learning experience in problem-based learning (PBL) particularly in terms of what they learned and how they learned in one Korean medical school by analyzing their reflective essays with qualitative research methods. METHODS: This study included 44 first-year medical students. They took three consecutive PBL courses and wrote reflective essays 3 times anonymously on the last day of each course. Their reflective essays were analyzed using an inductive content analysis method. RESULTS: The coding process yielded 16 sub-categories and these categories were grouped into six categories according to the distinctive characteristics of PBL learning experience: integrated knowledge base, clinical problem solving, collaboration, intrinsic motivation, self-directed learning, and professional attitude. Among these categories, integrated knowledge base (34.68%) and professional attitude (2.31%) were the categories mentioned most and least frequently. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study provide an overall understanding of the learning experience of Korean medical students during PBL in terms of what they learned and how they learned with rich descriptive commentaries from their perspectives as well as several thoughtful insights to help develop instructional strategies to enhance the effectiveness of PBL.
Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Clinical Coding ; Cooperative Behavior ; Humans ; Knowledge Bases ; Learning ; Methods ; Motivation ; Problem Solving ; Problem-Based Learning* ; Qualitative Research ; Schools, Medical ; Students, Medical

Purpose: This study investigated the role of collective efficacy and co-regulation in terms of students’ performance during small group projects in a medical research program. The effect of collective efficacy in student performance was expected to be mediated by co-regulation. Methods: A total of 50 students who enrolled in a medical research program worked on their medical research project in small groups over a period of 9 weeks. After they had submitted their final research project reports as groups at the end of the course, the collective efficacy and co-regulation surveys were conducted online. Results: The mediation model was significant and explained 26.61% of the variance in student performance. The total effect of collective efficacy on student performance was significant and the indirect effect through co-regulation was also significant. Conclusion These results suggest that collective efficacy influenced student performance through co-regulation in group learning contexts. Considering the fact that more and more collaborative learning now occurs in medical education, the result of this study can provide significant insights for enhancing students’ performance in small group contexts.

Purpose: This study aimed to design and implement an introductory-level course-based research experience (CRE) through project-based learning (PBL) for undergraduate medical students and investigate their learning experience and research skill development, with the ultimate objective of exploring whether CRE can be effectively utilized for undergraduate research experience. Methods: This study included 40 second-year premedical students enrolled in “Scientific thinking and medical research,” which was developed as an introductory-level CRE through PBL. It was a three-credit course and the students met twice a week for one semester. The students’ learning experiences were examined with a 15-item survey including three open-ended questions, while their research skills were assessed through the research reports using a research skill rubric at the end of the course. Results: The findings showed that the students perceived the course structure as appropriate and helpful. They also considered the group work experience to be positive and productive. Learner satisfaction items also earned positive responses in general. Regarding the research skill assessment, the mean value of the research skill scores of each group was 19.11 out of 27 and the mean value of each research skill score was 2.12 out of 3. Conclusion Overall, the students were satisfied with their research experience, and their research skills were developed, suggesting that this introductory CRE through PBL can be effectively and efficiently utilized for undergraduate research experience.

Purpose: This study examined medical students’ self-directed learning skills in online learning contexts, and whether there were any differences among the student groups (from pre-medical program year 1 to medical program year 2) amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It also explored the components of self-directed learning skills influencing their perceived learnring performance and satisfaction in online learning contexts. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey design and convenience sampling. It was conducted in a Korean medical school, which delivered all courses online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The self-directed learning skill survey, which included student satisfaction and perceived learning performance items, was disseminated over two weeks through email to the participants. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and multiple regressions. Results: The survey response rate was 70% (140/200). The overall mean of self-directed learning skills was 3.85. Students in medical year 2 showed the highest score (4.15), while students in medical year 1 showed the lowest score (3.69). The learning plan category score (3.74) was the lowest among the three categories. The pre-medical program year 1 students showed the lowest score in the perceived learning performance (3.16), and only the learning plan category impacted student satisfaction (t=2.605, p=0.041) and perceived learning performance (t=3.022, p=0.003). Conclusion When designing online learning environments, it is imperative to provide features to help students set learning goals and search diverse online learning resources. In addition, it is an effective strategy to provide the students in medical program year 1 with self-directed learning skills training or support for successful online learning.

Purpose: This research investigated the critical factors that affect the e-learning quality. The student satisfaction model with the five factors such as content, system, learner, instructor and interaction was proposed and empirically examined. It also investigated the relationship between the interaction and other constructs. Methods: This study used a cross sectional survey design, and convenience sampling. To examine the critical factors and their relationship, a survey of 28 items was developed based on previous studies and sent out through a learning management system to all the students (n=250) enrolled in the pre-med 1 to the medicine 3 in one medical school in Korea. The medical school delivered all the courses online due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The collected data (n=209, 83.6%) were analyzed through structural equation modeling by using IBM AMOS ver. 26.0 and IBM SPSS ver. 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, USA). Results: The determinants of e-learning student satisfaction were system, learner, instructor, and interaction qualities, which together explained 72.6% of the variance of student satisfaction and the determinants of e-learning interaction quality were content and system qualities, which together explained 62.9% of the variance of interaction quality. Conclusion The results of this study presented practical guidelines to improve e-learning quality in terms of student satisfaction in medical education contexts. The results indicated that more efforts should be directed toward improving interaction features such as interactive teaching styles, collaborative activities, providing instructors and learners with proper training for e-learning prior to e-learning and a quality of contents, and upgrading e-learning system for better performance and service.

Purpose: This study developed and implemented case-based flipped learning using illness script worksheets and investigated the responses of preclinical students and professors to the intervention in terms of its effectiveness, design, and implementation. Methods: The study was conducted at a medical school in Korea, where the “clinical reasoning method” course, originally a lecture-oriented course, was redesigned into a flipped learning. In total, 42 second-year medical students and 15 professors participated in this course. After the class, online surveys were conducted, and a focus group interview was held with seven students to explore the students’ experiences in more detail. Results: In total, 37 students and seven professors participated in the survey. The mean score for all items is 3.12/4 for the student survey and 3.43/4 for the professor survey. The focus group interview results were categorized as the beneficial aspects and challenges for the development of clinical reasoning. Conclusion The findings indicated that their responses to the intervention were generally positive, and it is thought to be an effective instructional method for fostering clinical reasoning skills in preclinical medical students.

Purpose: Developing clinical reasoning across the medical curriculum requires valid, reliable, and feasible assessment tools. However, few validated tools are available for the convenient and efficient quantification of clinical reasoning. Thus, this study aimed to create a shorter version of the Diagnostic Thinking Inventory (DTI) and validate it in the Korean medical education context (DTI-SK). Methods: The DTI-SK was constructed using content validity and a translation and back-translation process. It comprises two subcategories and 14 items. Its validity and reliability were explored using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, mean comparisons of four medical student groups (med 1 to med 4), and internal consistency using Cronbach’s α. Two hundred medical students were invited to participate through email, and the survey was administered for 2 weeks. Results: Data from 136 students were analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors with eigenvalues greater than 1.0 and they together explained 54.65% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the model had acceptable level of fit and convergent validity. Discriminant validity was confirmed using heterotrait-monotrait criterion. Group comparisons demonstrated that the med 4 students showed significantly higher scores than the med 1 and 2 students. The inventory exhibited strong internal consistency for all items (Cronbach’s α=0.906). Conclusion The findings indicated that the DTI-SK is a reliable and valid tool for measuring medical students’ clinical reasoning in the context of Korean medical education.