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Background <p>Although the SPICES framework is well established for guiding curriculum renewal in medicine, its real-world application within Social Medicine placements and Public Health practicums has not been thoroughly investigated—particularly in Iran. In our context, these courses still rely heavily on traditional, lecture-driven formats and hospital-based activities, which leave little room for active engagement with communities. To tackle this gap, we designed an intervention aligned with the six core SPICES principles—Student-centeredness, problem-solving, integration, community orientation, flexibility, and structured delivery—and set out to assess whether it would shift how students perceive their learning experience.</p> Methods <p>We conducted a single-group quasi-experimental pre–post study among undergraduate medical and public health students at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences (2023–2025). Ninety-five students were enrolled, and 86 completed both pre- and post-intervention assessments and were included in the final analysis. A validated 62-item questionnaire was completed before and after the intervention. Paired <i>t</i>-tests, Cohen’s <i>dz</i>, and eta squared (η²) were used for analysis.</p> Results <p>Of the 95 enrolled students, 86 completed both assessments and were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome showed a significant increase in the overall SPICES score from 155.36 ± 27.39 to 228.13 ± 19.90 (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001), corresponding to a very large educational effect (Cohen’s dz = 1.972, η² = 0.797). Secondary outcome analyses demonstrated significant improvements across all six SPICES domains (all <i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). The largest effects were observed for Community-based (<i>dz</i> = 1.86), Elective (<i>dz</i> = 1.78), and Integrated learning (<i>dz</i> = 1.37), while Problem-based (<i>dz</i> = 0.98), Student-centered (<i>dz</i> = 0.95), and Systematic learning (<i>dz</i> = 0.66) also showed substantial improvements.</p> Conclusion <p>The SPICES-based educational intervention produced a substantial improvement in the overall SPICES score, indicating its effectiveness as a comprehensive approach to curriculum reform. Significant improvements across all six SPICES domains, particularly in community-based, elective, and integrated learning, suggest that incorporating SPICES principles into internship and field training can enhance students’ educational experiences and support Student-centered curriculum development.</p>

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Evaluating the effectiveness of the SPICES model in enhancing students’ learning experience in social medicine and public health field training at jiroft university of medical sciences, Iran

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月3日

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  • Reza Faryabi,
  • Ehsan Movahed,
  • Alireza Yusefi

摘要

Background

Although the SPICES framework is well established for guiding curriculum renewal in medicine, its real-world application within Social Medicine placements and Public Health practicums has not been thoroughly investigated—particularly in Iran. In our context, these courses still rely heavily on traditional, lecture-driven formats and hospital-based activities, which leave little room for active engagement with communities. To tackle this gap, we designed an intervention aligned with the six core SPICES principles—Student-centeredness, problem-solving, integration, community orientation, flexibility, and structured delivery—and set out to assess whether it would shift how students perceive their learning experience.

Methods

We conducted a single-group quasi-experimental pre–post study among undergraduate medical and public health students at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences (2023–2025). Ninety-five students were enrolled, and 86 completed both pre- and post-intervention assessments and were included in the final analysis. A validated 62-item questionnaire was completed before and after the intervention. Paired t-tests, Cohen’s dz, and eta squared (η²) were used for analysis.

Results

Of the 95 enrolled students, 86 completed both assessments and were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome showed a significant increase in the overall SPICES score from 155.36 ± 27.39 to 228.13 ± 19.90 (P < 0.001), corresponding to a very large educational effect (Cohen’s dz = 1.972, η² = 0.797). Secondary outcome analyses demonstrated significant improvements across all six SPICES domains (all P < 0.001). The largest effects were observed for Community-based (dz = 1.86), Elective (dz = 1.78), and Integrated learning (dz = 1.37), while Problem-based (dz = 0.98), Student-centered (dz = 0.95), and Systematic learning (dz = 0.66) also showed substantial improvements.

Conclusion

The SPICES-based educational intervention produced a substantial improvement in the overall SPICES score, indicating its effectiveness as a comprehensive approach to curriculum reform. Significant improvements across all six SPICES domains, particularly in community-based, elective, and integrated learning, suggest that incorporating SPICES principles into internship and field training can enhance students’ educational experiences and support Student-centered curriculum development.