Design and psychometric evaluation of a short questionnaire for assessing student satisfaction with innovative teaching methods in basic medical sciences

Abstract

Basic medical sciences form the foundation for clinical competence; however, students often face difficulties in retaining theoretical knowledge due to abstract content, large class sizes, limited instructional time, and passive teaching methods. In recent years, innovative and student-centered approaches—such as flipped classrooms, small-group discussions, and teacher role-playing—have been widely adopted to promote engagement and deeper learning. Measuring student satisfaction plays a key role in evaluating the effectiveness of these methods. Existing instruments are often lengthy, context-specific, or lack robust psychometric validation. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and validate a short, reliable questionnaire to assess student satisfaction with innovative teaching methods in basic medical sciences (SSIM_sQ). This methodological study was conducted at Babol University of Medical Sciences (2022–2024) and involved 953 medical science students exposed to active learning methods. The study comprised two phases: item generation and psychometric evaluation. Ten initial items were developed based on the literature and expert review. Psychometric testing included face and content validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability assessment. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 27 and AMOS 24. The final 6-item SSIM_sQ demonstrated excellent validity and reliability. EFA supported a single-factor structure explaining 76% of variance, and CFA confirmed good model fit (RMSEA = 0.040, CFI = 1.00, TLI = 0.997). The instrument showed high convergent validity (AVE = 0.825, CR = 0.966), strong internal consistency and stability (α = 0.960, Ω = 0/960, Intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.976). The SSIM_sQ is a brief, valid, and reliable instrument for assessing student satisfaction with innovative teaching methods in basic medical sciences. Its strong psychometric properties and practicality support its use in both research and educational quality improvement.