Abstract
Background: Education research, due to its capacity to produce knowledge and information about educational subjects, is an influencing factor in guiding the educational strategies of institutions. Therefore, education research is the basis of educational institutions' development and improvement activities. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study was conducted on all the key people and experts in education who submitted the proposed research topics of their subcategory with a goal-based method through several stages of correspondence using the Delphi method (classic Delphi). A total of 105 research titles were received, and four criteria (non-repetition, feasibility, compliance with unit needs, and effectiveness in improving the quality level of medical education) were determined. The data were analyzed by calculating the score of each section using descriptive statistics methods (percentage, frequency, and mean) scores given in each section. In the end, the titles were selected based on the final score in descending order and 16 absolute priorities. Results: Among the 105 initially proposed titles, 30 items with a higher average score were selected after removing duplicates and similar items. Finally, 16 articles were determined as the most critical research challenges in university education. These priorities were in six fields, including learning (five titles), educational management (four titles), lesson planning (three titles), educational evaluation (two titles), professional ethics (one title), and empowerment (one title). Conclusions: The opinions of educational experts have made the research priorities in the education of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences comprehensive. Many educational problems and issues have been clarified and introduced for researchers.