title: Health students' expectations of the ideal educational environment: a qualitative research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Educational environment is an important determinant of students' behavior and its elements are associated with academic achievement and course satisfaction. The aim of this study was to determine students' expectations of the ideal educational environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Using a theoretical sampling method, we selected eight students from Health School of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, studying health education, public health, environmental health, occupational health and medical entomology. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used and continued until reaching data saturation. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students' expectations of the ideal educational environment emerged in four main themes including school atmosphere, teaching, human aspects (with three subthemes including teachers, students, and school staff) and non-human aspects (with two subthemes including educational equipment and physical environment).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational environment is a multidimensional issue and to achieve an ideal educational environment, educational planners should meet the students' expectations of the school atmosphere, teaching, teachers, students, school staff, educational equipment and physical environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Health School, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran;
authors.forename: Teamur
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aghamolaei
authors.affiliation: Educational Development Center, Virtual school and Medical School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
authors.forename: Mandana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirazi
authors.affiliation: Research in medical education, Education Development Center (EDC), Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS), Rasht, Iran;
authors.forename: Ideh
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dadgaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran;
authors.forename: Hooman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shahsavari
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Health School, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghanbarnejad
keywords: Education; Environment; Qualitative research; Students