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Background Improving the competencies of nurses requires improving educational methods through the use of novel methods in teaching and learning. We aim to explore the perceptions of stakeholders (including nursing education directors, faculty members and nursing students) of the requirements of implementing innovative educational approaches in nursing. Methods In this qualitative descriptive study, 19 participants, including educational directors, faculty members, and undergraduate and graduate nursing students, were selected through the purposeful sampling method. Achieving the theoretical saturation in extracted categories was considered as a criterion for determining the sample size and the completion of sampling. The data were collected from December 2019 to May 2020 in nursing schools of Tehran, Iran, through in-depth semi-structured individual face-to-face interviews and were then analyzed based on the Graneheim and Lundman method. Results Using qualitative content analysis, eight sub-themes and three themes were extracted. The extracted themes were ‘novel educational policymaking’, ‘Innovative education-oriented platform’, and ‘managing barriers of innovative educational approaches’. Conclusions Developing and implementing innovative educational approaches entail providing appropriate context, structure, and required facilities by the policymaking system and educational authorities. In addition, developing capacity and related competencies of faculty members and students as the major stakeholders in employing these approaches is crucial.

Introduction International accreditation of universities is a comprehensive evaluation process conducted by reputable external bodies to ensure adherence to quality and effectiveness standards in higher education institutions. This study aimed to identify the challenges and strategic solutions related to the international accreditation of Iranian universities of medical sciences (IUMS). Methods This qualitative study was conducted in 2023 across IUMS. Data were collected through purposive semistructured interviews with 36 individuals, including administrators, faculty members, and experts from various university departments under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). The interviews continued until data saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Results A total of 52 challenges were identified, the most critical of which were cultural barriers, weak implementation processes, and inappropriate organizational structures. In parallel, 57 solutions were classified into seven categories, including training and education, infrastructure development, communication enhancement, policymaking and planning, self-assessment, improvement of standards and indicators, and process optimization. Conclusions This study identified major barriers to international accreditation in IUMS and proposed practical solutions. Progress requires joint action: universities should strengthen training, infrastructure, documentation, and internal quality assurance, while accrediting bodies and national authorities must provide supportive regulations, adequate resources, and context-sensitive standards aligned with global frameworks. Coordinated efforts at both levels are essential for enhancing accreditation readiness, improving quality, and increasing global competitiveness.

E-portfolios are considered bridges to demonstrate students’ efforts, learning process, and self-observation. The present study attempted to work with ISE (Individual speaking e-portfolio) and GSE (Group speaking e-portfolio). Generally, the study aimed to explore students' attitudes and perceptions towards speaking e-portfolios, as well as to compare the attitudes and perceptions of these two groups. This is a mixed-methods study with two qualitative questions. The students were divided into three main classes: a GSE group, an ISE group, and a control group. Eighty-four intermediate EFL learners (43 male and 41 female) were selected to participate in the study using a test of general English language proficiency. Six groups of students (two groups of males and females out of each main class) with about 15 participants were supposed to record their voices according to the weekly schedule. While two groups (15 male, 14 female) were immediately recorded during the discussions, the other two groups (14 male, 14 female) were individually recorded. All the groups received peer feedback each session. The students were 16 to 17 years of age. Data analysis was run to compare attitudes and perceptions. In addition, thematic representatives supported the results as well. Generally, both groups agreed on the benefits of the e-portfolio; however, the ISE group showed a more positive attitude. Besides, both groups had positive perceptions, while the GSE group had more positive perceptions toward keeping the e-portfolio. It can be concluded that e-portfolios can be considered a technical aid in L2 learning.

BACKGROUND:Literature shows that healthcare and medical education are associated with the countries/institutes' developments, and reviewing the global patterns can shed light on various aspects of this competition. The study aims to investigate the current research aspects on the internationalization of healthcare and medical education and assess its trends worldwide.MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this descriptive study, based on documents in Web of Science (n = 609), PubMed (n = 395), and Scopus (n = 6598), scientometric methods and knowledge visualization techniques were applied to evaluate global scientific production and trends from 1900 to 2020. Results were preprocessed in BibExcel (version 2016-02-20) to create a mapping file, and word co-occurrence analysis was applied to evaluate the publications. Scientific maps, authors' networks, and countries'/institutes' contributions were depicted using VOS (Visualization of Similarity) viewer and NetDraw. For trend analysis, highly frequent words were examined at intervals before 2000, 2000–2004, 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2019.RESULTS:Altogether, 129 countries and 14536 (co)authors with 7007 affiliations contributed to the production of 6895 documents. Of the 2378 journals, the top 20 journals published 1298 (18.83%) articles. The top 20 authors together contributed to 247 papers (3.58%). High-income countries made up the most prolific nations. Also, institutes from North America, Europe, and Oceania pioneered production and cooperation. Highly co-occurring words were international cooperation, medical education, medical school, curriculum, medical research, and medical students.CONCLUSION:The countries/institutions' efforts in internationalizing healthcare and medical education are reflected in the publications in the databases of Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus. Thus, the findings offer evidence-based information about past and present trends and help researchers and policymakers understand their global impact.

Internationalization of higher education is a concept that is currently making its way to every corner of the globe. An Introduction to the Internationalization of Higher Education aims to provide the reader with an introduction to this subject and explore three of its most fundamental aspects; namely, internationalization at home, internationalization abroad, and internationalization of curriculum. This publication delves into the underlying rationale for internationalization of higher education and discusses the opportunities and challenges brought about by this concept. Current practices regarding the internationalization of higher education are discussed, and the requirements for the realization of these activities are laid out. This book can act as a basis for future research endeavors as it clearly and comprehensively introduces the internationalization of higher education and answers various questions about this topic.