Validity and reliability of the persian version of WATCH questionnaire in assessing the clinical learning environment

Abstract

Introduction: In order to attain effective clinical education, it is necessary to assess the current training status continuously. Considering the necessity of evaluating the status of clinical education based on a valid and reliable questionnaire, this study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of WATCH questionnaire in Shiraz Medical School. Methods: This was a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study conducted on medical students in Shiraz Medical School, southern Iran to assess the validity and reliability of the WATCH questionnaire. The WATCH questionnaire included 15 questions. This questionnaire addresses three areas of teaching and learning, teaching skills, and learner orientation. Initially, the English version was translated into Persian. This translation was then back translated by an interpreter into English and compared to the original English version. Cronbach's alpha method was used to examine the internal consistency. Then, to evaluate the validity, content validity and construct validity were measured. Content validity was determined by medical education experts and construct validity was measured using confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis. Results: The reliability in teaching skills was 0.97, in teaching and learning was 0.91, and in the learner centered domain was 0.86. By examining the convergence validity of the dimensions of the questionnaire, we observed that all three dimensions of the questionnaire had acceptable convergence validity. In other words, this questionnaire has a coherent validity. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the Persian version of the WATCH questionnaire was a highly reliable and valid instrument for assessing the clinical environment for trainees and medical students. This questionnaire evaluates clinical education from different angles well.