[ trend of alterations in the quality of educational performance in faculty members of Kerman university of medical sciences]

Faculty members are one of the major parts of universities whose performance has a key role in outcomes of educational systems. With continuous evaluation of faculty members, part of which done by students, real performance of faculty members with all its shortcomingsand positive points would be determined and consequently it helps improving the quality ofeducational activities.To determine the process of alterations in the quality of educational performance infaculty members of Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This correlation study was done on all faculty members of Kerman University ofMedical Sciences during 2001-2006 who had been evaluated 8 times through gettingstudents' opinion. Data related to the quality of educational performance were gathered through the obtained scores in students' evaluation and data related to research activities were gathered through research activity scores assigned for annual promotion of faculty members. According to the obtained results, during the study period, the average annual increase in educational performance was 0.06 that is statistically significant [p=0.0001], but alteration in research activities during the studied period was not significant. There was no significant relation between educational performance and research activity and also demographic features of subjects such as academic rank, educational degree and job experience, while educational degree and academic rank showed significant relations with research activity score [p= 0.001, p= 0.003 respectively].The present study shows an improvement in educational performance during the recent years that is probably due to continuous evaluations. Lack of significant relation between the quality of educational performance and research activity requires planning programs for bridging these two domains

[ concept of teaching and its essential questions]

Teaching is an interpersonal activity, an interaction based on the verbal communication which is inclined to learning or change of behavioral methods in one or more students and it is considered as a Process. Although, some essential specifications such as process, interaction, intention are involved, answering to the following three essential questions seems not to be easy: 1. What is Teaching? 2. Who are Participating in a Teaching Activity? 3. What is the role of each person in a Teaching Activity? These questions have different answers though they would provide a base for gathering and inclining of researches and theories. The first question reveals the type of activity as either a Science or an Art. The second question is a discussion about teacher and student and description of both. Answering to the third question is pointing to the role of the Teacher and Student who are active or non active and different methods of teaching are based on it