الفهرس 
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Abstract
The quality of health education is very important in order to graduate cadres able to contribute to the community service. All higher education institutions, including health looking for advanced educational system capable to provide graduate students the scientific competence and professional experience and keep up with the many changes in the higher education system that characterize the current era. The High Institute of Public Health developed a program for postgraduate studies and research depending on Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) or the Credit Hour System since the year 2008. The credit hour system conform to this development and works to strengthen the scientific and research experiences for graduates of Egyptians, Arabs and Africans to meet the actual needs of the labor market by providing specialists with level of excellence.
The objectives of the present study was to compare between the academic year and credit hour systems regarding number of students registered under the umbrella of each system, students’ performance and to assess the current students and staff satisfaction with the credit hour system at the High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University and to determine factors that are related to satisfaction of both students and staff.
The study was conducted in the High Institute Public Health based on 3817 students’ registries from 2001 to 2015 and on 301 students and 60 of the Academic Staff for the academic year 2014-2015.
- The study revealed the following main results:
1- Academic year system:
In academic year system the total number of students registered from the year 2001-2007 was 1777 with an average 254 students/year, the majority of them (67.0%) were female.
The highest percentage of students (40.9%) aged from 20 to less than 30 years, followed by the age group from 30 to less than 40 year (33.8%).The mean age was a 33.72±8.18 years. Most of the students in the Institute were Egyptians (97.4%).
The majority of students (60.0%) were not working while 15.5% of them were working at the Ministry of Health and 14.1% were working at private sector.
Regarding students’ basic qualification 68.0% of them were medical compared to 20.0% who were non-medical and 12.0% were paramedical.
In academic year system through the years 2001-2007 the highest percentage of students registered was during the year 2006 (22.3%) followed by 2005 (14.5%) while the lowest percent (10.4%) was during the year 2003. The highest percentage of students registered in diploma program was in the year 2006 (23.5%) then 14.8% in the year 2005 and the lowest percent was 9.9% in the year 2003. For the master program, the highest percent was 21.2% in the year 2006 then 15.6% in the year 2001 and the lowest percent was 11.2% in the year 2005. The doctorate program the highest percent of students was in the yeas 2007 (21.5%) then 17.7% in the year 2005 and the lowest percent was 10.0% in the year 2001.
Results showed that some specialties attracted students as tropical health (11.8%), microbiology (11.0%), nutrition (10.7%), maternal and children health (9.9%) and hospital administration (7.4%). No special trend was detected in the numbers of registered students through the years 2001-2007 in the majority of specialty, however, the number registered in some departments showed some increase in the years 2004 and 2006.
Regarding students’ performance, the results showed that 31.3% of students had got very good grade, 22.2% of students had got an excellent grade, 11.8% had got good grade while 26.8% of them failed.
2- Credit hour system:
In credit hour system the total number of students registered from the year 2008-2015 was 2040 with an average 255 students/ year the majority of them (68.2%) were females.
The highest percentage of students (40.3%) aged from 30 to less than 40 years and the lowest percentage (4.7%) aged 50 year and above. The mean age of the students was 33.32±7.79 years.
Most of students were Egyptian (96.6%). About 40 % of them work at private sector while 33.7% work at the Ministry of Health. Only 12.6% of them were not working.
Regarding students’ basic qualification degree 60.4% of them were medical compared to 24.0%who were paramedical and 15.6% were non-medical.
In credit hour system through the years 2008- 2015. The highest percentage of students (16.6%) was during the year 2015 followed by the year 2013 (15.6%) while the lowest percent (8.4%) was during the year 2010. The highest percent of students who registered in diploma program (17.5%) in the year 2015. Then (16.1 %) in 2013 while the lowest percent (8.2%) was in the year 2008. For the master program the highest percent (22.8%) was in the year 2008 followed by 15.5% in the year 2009 while the lowest percent (6.2%) was in the year 2010. For the doctorate program the highest percent (21.9%) was in the year 2015 then 17.0% in the year 2014 and the lowest percent (6.7%) was in the year 2008.
Results showed also that the majority of students registered in nutrition (15.7%), quality management (13.0%), microbiology (12.0%), tropical health (9.1%) and maternal and child health (6.8%). However number of registered students from year to another and from specialty to another showed no particular direction of increase or decrease.
Regarding students’ performance, the results showed that 39.3% of students had got very good grade 21.4% had got B+ and 17.9% had got B. About 18.7% of students had got an excellent grade 17.5% had got A- and 1.2% had got A. while 15.3% of them failed.
- Through a comparison between academic year system and credit hour system turned out the following:
1- There is no significant difference between both systems in gender and nationality of registered students (p >0.05).
2- There is statistically significant difference between the two systems regarding age, workplace, basic qualification, programs and grades (p<0.05).
3- In the academic year system there was no significant trend for numbers of registered students in each program (p>0.05).
4- In credit hour system there was significant trend for numbers of registered students in the diploma program and the doctorate program (p<0.05). Best-fit equation for the trend of diploma students is the quadratic one (P<0.05) with MAD =7.68 and the coefficient of determination (R2) equals 0.906. For the doctorate students the cubic equation is the best fit one (P<0.05) with MAD = 1.65 and coefficient of determination (R2) equals 0.965.While there is no significant trend for the numbers of registered students ta the master program (p>0.05).
3- Satisfaction of students and academic staff:
1- Students satisfaction:
The total number of the studies sample was 301 about three fourth of them 220 (73.1%) were females. The majority of them (94.7%) were Egyptian. Also 95.3% of them were residents of Alexandria. The highest percentage of students (46.1%) was in the age group from 20 to less than 30 years. and the mean age of the study sample was 31.41 ± 6.7 years. Regarding current degree more from half (58.8%) of students registered in diploma degree and only 27.9% of them registered in master degree while 13.3% of them registered in doctorate degree.
Results demonstrated that the respondents were satisfied with the credit hour system in of registration of courses, academic supervisor, performance of the academic staff, the courses, field training, students’ assessment, library services and facilities. But they showed lower satisfaction about student affairs services and admission policies at High Institute Public Health.
Results showed that males’ students were significantly more satisfied than females. However there was no significant difference in the level of satisfaction of Egyptian and non-Egyptian students. Moreover, age, basic qualification, previous postgraduate studies and specialty had no significant effect on level satisfaction of student.
2- Academic staff satisfaction:
The total number of the study sample was 60 of whom 44 (73.4%) were females and 16 (26.7%) were males. The highest percentage of academic staff (35.8%) aged 60 and above years. The majority of academic staff (65.0%) were professors, 21.7% were assistant professor and only 8 (13.3) were lecturers.
The findings indicated that majority of the respondents were satisfied with the credit hour system generally. But showed lower satisfaction about facilities at high institute public health.
Findings shows that there was no significant difference in the level of satisfaction among staff of different gender, age, for different departments, different qualification and different academic title (p>0.05).
- We come to the conclusion that:
1- Credit hour system has obvious advantages over the academic year system as:
e- Students enjoy freedom when choosing course and numbers of credit hour which are suitable for his scientific and financial capabilities and which allow him to coordinate between his study and his work.
f- There is a list of elective courses in the different specialties from which students can choose what he needs to enhance his knowledge, intellectual and professional skills in his field of work.
g- Completion of the study depends on the student’s capability.
h- Credit hour system is better for the students, the academic staff and the Institutions.
2- The number of teaching classrooms is not enough due to numerous elective courses delivered each semester.
3- Shortage in the laboratory equipments necessary to meet the practical training for students.
4- Lack of articles and up-to-date scientific book in the library.
5- Some courses contain extra information not needed in practice.
6- Some topics are repeated in different courses.
- We recommend by following:
1- Improving the services provided by the students’ affairs in the process of registration.
2- Early distribution of the students’ the handbook.
3- Enhance the process of students ID preparation and distribution.
4- Announcement about the admission rules.
5- Establish a well-known mechanism to receive complaints and suggestions of the students.
6- Coordination between departments of the Institute to avoid repetition of same topic in different courses.
7- Updating courses specification to remove extra information.
8- Pooling all elective courses of all specialties and all grades and each student has the right to choose a course whenever he fulfilled its pre requisites.
9- Enriching the library with recent books and periodicals.
10- Providing the labs with the required equipment and materials.
11- Extra teaching classrooms should be prepared to meet the huge number of elective courses provided.