Abstract

Introduction: Adherence to ethics, particularly educational ethics in the teaching-learning process for students-especially in medical science disciplines-has always played a significant role in enhancing the quality of learning and training a competent workforce. As a fundamental pillar of modern educational systems, this principle is crucial for nurturing responsible and knowledgeable individuals in society. It not only contributes to creating a fair and respectful environment but also fosters the development of students' soft skills. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the extent to which educational ethics are observed in the undergraduate curriculum of emergency medicine at Urmia University of Medical Sciences.
Materials & Methods:  This descriptive, survey-based applied research study was conducted in 2025. The statistical population consisted of 160 graduates of the undergraduate program in emergency medicine from Urmia University of Medical Sciences between 2017 and 2024. Simple random sampling was employed, selecting 113 individuals as the sample. Data collection was performed using a researcher-made questionnaire encompassing six dimensions: observing ethics in teaching, ethical interaction with students, fair evaluation, respect for privacy, professional responsibility, and ethics-oriented educational content. Face and content validity of the questionnaire were confirmed, and its reliability was verified by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.988). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including the one-sample t-test and Friedman test, using SPSS software version 26.
Results: The findings indicated that, overall, educational ethics were in a relatively favorable situation. The results of the one-sample t-test showed that the overall mean score of adherence to educational ethics was significantly higher than the average level (t = 11.49, df = 112, p < 0.001). In this regard, the highest mean score was related to the component of professional responsibility, while the lowest mean was reported for ethics-oriented educational content.
Conclusion: Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that faculty members demonstrated relatively appropriate performance in observing educational ethics. However, reinforcing measures are necessary in certain areas, particularly in selecting and designing ethics-based educational content, ethical interaction with students, and respecting their privacy.