Abstract

Abstract

Medical education, as one of the main pillars of the healthcare system, plays an important role in training specialized personnel and enhancing the quality of health and medical services. However, individual differences among instructors, particularly gender-related differences, can affect the effectiveness of the teaching process. Clinical education is recognized as the backbone of medical education, since students acquire the ability to transform knowledge into practical skills through direct interaction with patients, instructors, and real clinical environments. Therefore, one of the key and shared elements in both international and domestic research that has effectively enhanced the quality of continuing education programs is the emphasis on teaching methods. Teaching method is considered one of the main components of the curriculum and a crucial phase of instructional design. Given the limitations of traditional methods in preparing students professionally, educational approaches must be selected that strengthen students’ reasoning, judgment, and decision-making abilities. In this context, teaching methods and classroom management are usually regarded as the structures and approaches that create and reinforce a constructive learning environment. ducational approaches must be selected that strengthen students’ reasoning, judgment, and decision-making abilities. In this context, teaching methods and classroom management are usually regarded as the structures and approaches that create and reinforce a constructive learning environment.Alongside the importance of teaching methods, one of the less explored aspects is the examination of the impact of gender on the teaching styles of medical science instructors. In this regard, instructors’ roles as learning facilitators occupy a special position. Teaching style, use of instructional techniques, and even instructors’ personal characteristics, including gender, can have a profound effect on the student learning process.

This process not only facilitates the transfer of foundational knowledge but also encompasses the cultivation of clinical, communicative, and professional skills to prepare students for the real-world challenges of the healthcare system. For this reason, emphasis on teaching methods is a key and common element in both international and domestic research, with a significant impact on the quality of educational programs. Teaching methods are considered core components of the curriculum and crucial stages in instructional design. Given the limitations of traditional approaches in the professional preparation of students, educational strategies must be chosen that can strengthen students’ powers of reasoning, judgment, and decision-making. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the instructors at Kerman University of Medical Sciences regarding their application of teaching techniques in the classroom. The statistical population comprised all full-time instructors (both female and male) employed at Kerman University of Medical Sciences in the year 1403, totaling 557 individuals. The sample size was determined as 180 using Cochran’s formula. A convenience sampling method was adopted to provide a comprehensive overview of the university’s teaching status. The collected data were examined through descriptive statistical measures, including demographic information, frequencies, percentages, tables, and statistical charts. Additionally, Student’s t-test and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) hierarchical analysis were utilized as inferential statistical tools to obtain an accurate evaluation of the relationships among the study variables.

The results of this study showed that instructor gender plays a significant role in how teaching skills are applied in medical education. Specifically, male instructors outperformed female instructors on the “overall teaching skill” and “educational assessment” components, whereas female instructors scored higher on “in-class teaching skills.” These differences were statistically significant and suggest that the manifestation and execution of instructional skills by male and female instructors differ due to underlying psychological, social, and cultural factors.

Moreover, findings from the hierarchical Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis revealed that instructors’ perceptions of the importance and priority of various teaching skills differ by gender. Male instructors placed greater emphasis on structural and analytical skills—such as assessment, content organization, and the use of technology—while female instructors gave more weight to interactive and emotional components, including the development of a comprehensive lesson plan, the creation of a motivational learning environment, and the encouragement of students. This variation in skill prioritization indicates that teaching approaches are shaped by gendered perceptions and should not be reduced merely to differences in individual capability.

A review of the literature further showed that, despite their scientific expertise, medical faculty members often lack formal training in pedagogy and instead acquire teaching skills through experience. This gap in formal instructional training can undermine the overall effectiveness of medical education. Additionally, discrepancies between faculty and student perspectives on the characteristics that contribute to effective teaching highlight the necessity of addressing instructors’ personal and relational dimensions alongside their scientific qualifications. Accordingly, the present study’s findings underscore the necessity of designing and implementing educational empowerment programs grounded in instructors’ gender-based and psychological differences. Adopting an integrated approach that enhances both analytical and structural teaching competencies and the human, interactive components of instruction can improve the quality of medical education and enrich students’ learning experiences. Moreover, the conscious utilization of the existing diversity in teaching styles between female and male instructors as a complementary asset can make the educational planning process both richer and more efficient. On the other hand, a comparative review of studies in the field of educational evaluation shows that although factors such as teaching method, communication skills, and scholarly competence play a significant role in educational effectiveness, gender bias remains a prominent intervening variable. In particular, Crestid and colleagues (1988) demonstrated that students, irrespective of teaching quality, rate male instructors higher on components such as “teaching authority” and “professional competence.” This finding aligns with the results of Morgan and colleagues (2021), in which male instructors, even after controlling for background variables, received higher scores for their ability to convey clinical concepts.Yaman and colleagues (2023) also showed that evaluation instruments in medical education are often designed in ways that reinforce gender biases, with male instructors scoring higher on criteria such as “teaching self-confidence” and “knowledge transmission.”

Ultimately, these studies indicate that beyond technical teaching skills, cultural and structural biases within educational systems can lead to the reproduction of gender inequality in evaluations. To counter this trend, researchers have emphasized revising evaluation tools, enhancing teaching skills, and employing objective, multidimensional indicators such as performance on standardized tests.