Evaluation of the Achievement of Educational Objectives in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Based on the CIPP Evaluation Model: Perspectives of Dental Students at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences

Background: Educational evaluation plays a critical role in improving the quality of training and aligning it with community needs.The CIPP model is a well-established framework that enables systematic evaluation of educational programs.This study aimed to assess the achievement of educational objectives in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases at Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, from the perspective of dental students, using the CIPP model.Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study (academic year 2020-2021), a researcher-made questionnaire with 25 items across four domains-Context, Input, Process, and Product-was used.All dental students who had completed both theoretical and practical courses in the department were included via a census sampling method.The questionnaire's validity and reliability were confirmed.Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests in SPSS-25, with a significance level of p<0.05.Results: A total of 50 students (25 male, 25 female) participated.Mean scores were as follows: context 73.6214.71(66% favorable), input 63.9014.62(54% relatively favorable), process 69.3316.38 (52% relatively favorable), and product 56.2523.58(48% unfavorable).No significant differences were found across gender or admission type. Conclusion:From the students' perspective, the achievement of educational objectives was relatively favorable in the context, input, and process domains, but suboptimal in the product domain.Revisions in teaching methods, curriculum content, and evaluation strategies-especially in the outcome-related areas are recommended.