Development of an entropy-weighted evaluation system for optometric education quality in vocational colleges of Yunnan Province

BACKGROUND: Optometric education in vocational colleges aims to cultivate technical professionals with expertise in vision assessment and ophthalmic practices. However, the sustainable development of such education in Yunnan Province faces challenges due to imbalanced resource allocation and insufficient quantitative evaluation frameworks. METHODS: This study developed a hierarchical evaluation system based on the entropy method to assess the development of optometric education across seven vocational colleges in Yunnan Province. The research was conducted through comprehensive field investigations, including participation in the "survey and evaluation research on the development of optometric education in Yunnan Province", which provided firsthand insights into instructional quality, internship training, faculty allocation. Data were collected from multiple sources, including institutional reports, expert assessments, and standardized indicators. The entropy method was applied to objectively weight different evaluation indicators, ensuring a systematic and data-driven analysis of optometric education quality. The integration of empirical fieldwork and rigorous statistical analysis enhanced the reliability and validity of the findings. RESULTS: = 0.1995) as the most significant factors for improvement. 4) Critical sub-indicators included teaching evaluation, practical exercise, textbook development, program formulation and individualized guidance, all of which were listed in descending order of importance. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the feasibility of constructing an entropy-weighted evaluation system for optometric education, providing a novel methodological approach to assess educational quality in this specialized field in Yunnan Province. The findings reveal critical indicators for enhancing optometric education in Yunnan Province.