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Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (2013) xxx, xxx–xxx
King Saud University
Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal
www.ksu.edu.sa
www.sciencedirect.com
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Pharmacy education instruction: Preference
and practices, Saudi students perception
a,* b a
Mirghani A. Yousif , Ahmed S. Eldalo , Mustafa A. Abd Allah ,
Mohammed A. Al-Sawat c, Haitham M. Al-Wahaibi c, Abd Allah S. Al-Osaimi c,
Salman H. Al-Gethami c
a Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Saudi Arabia
b Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Saudi Arabia
c Pharm. D student, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Saudi Arabia
Received 25 May 2013; accepted 23 June 2013
KEYWORDS Abstract Aim/Background: The methods of instruction in pharmacy education are crucial and
Pharmacy; meant to suit the professional development and encompass the advanced variety of services and
Education; functions provided by the pharmacists to serve individual patients. The aim of this study was to
Instruction; determine the students opinions on the adopted and preferred methods of instruction in pharmacy
Students; colleges in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Perception Methods: Opinions of Saudi pharmacy students regarding the adopted methods of learning were
measured using a pretested questionnaire combined with Likert-type scales.
Results: Three hundred pharmacy students were interviewed. Direct type of lecturing was dom-
inant (53.7%). The most frequently used language of instruction was combined English and Arabic
(48.8%), that was mostly preferred by 52.5% of the students. Handouts were the most adopted
post-lecture learning method (48.3%), while only 5.9% used students self-written notes. A cocktail
of traditional and electronic aids was used as admitted by 68.7% and 59.3% of the students who
preferred this lecture delivery method. Almost half (49.3%) of the students agreed of having a rou-
tine fair guidance and support when referring to their lecturers.
* Corresponding author. Address: Department of Clinical Phar-
macy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Al-Haweiah, P.O.
Box 888, Zip Code 21974, Saudi Arabia. Tel.: +966 567 484804.
E-mail addresses: mirghani53@yahoo.com, y.mirghani@tu.edu.sa
(M.A. Yousif).
Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University.
Production and hosting by Elsevier
1319-0164 ª 2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.06.005
Please cite this article in press as: Yousif, M.A. et al., Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students
perception. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.06.005
2 M.A. Yousif et al.
Conclusion: The study outcomes had revealed a practical guidance to be considered for institut-
ing preferred modes of instruction to upgrading students capacities for better understanding and
acquiring academic and professional skills.
ª2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
1. Introduction obtained from participants prior to their enrollment in the
study. The inclusion criterion was the final Saudi pharmacy
Pharmacyeducationinitsbroadestmeaning is to qualify grad- students who were duly registered at the time of the study in
uate with the core knowledge of pharmaceutical sciences as the randomly selected colleges of pharmacy in Saudi
well as to equip him/her for lifelong knowledge and training universities.
in science and practice (Asiri, 2011). Radical shift was attained
in the concept of pharmacy education, patient-focused as an 2.2. Survey development
alternative to the old product orientation one is rapidly
becomingglobally an essential component of pharmacy educa- An inclusive questionnaire was used to elicit general opinions
tion, although, some developing countries remain influenced of the students on different variables to address the studys
by the traditional type of pharmacy education. Pharmacy edu- objectives. Different opinions variables that authors believed
cation methods should clearly qualify a graduate to meet pa- most potential to reflect pharmacy students perception on
tients perceptions and perspectives toward medications being the adopted and preferred methods of instruction were de-
important determinants of the success of health intervention signed. The survey instrument underwent a face validity check
strategies (Hassali et al., 2011). The adopted type and methods with number of students for respondents understanding assur-
of instruction in pharmacy education are crucial and ground- ance. The survey consisted of four parts that were collectively
breaking concepts to suit the professional development and composed of 31 questions.
encompass the advanced variety of services and functions pro-
vided by the pharmacists to serve individual patients (Wie- 2.3. Survey content
denmayer et al., 2006). In general the curricula contents as
well as the adopted instruction methods should meet the pa- The questionnaire consisted of 4 parts. The first part (9 ques-
tients need and should curb the treatment misadventures. tions) dealt with students demographic characteristics and ba-
The Vancouver Consultancy agreed that pharmacists must sic information on: gender, age, academic level, academic
possess specific knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors to status, first intake grade. The second part of the questionnaire
equip them to perform their roles effectively (FIP 2000). It is (17 questions) dealt with the methods of instruction. The third
right to state that classroom teaching enables the instructor part (12 questions) composed of assorted questions to measure
to stimulate critical thinking among students, but this was lim- the students opinions and preference on the instruction meth-
ited by many factors (David and Dianne, 2009). These limita- ods. The last part constituted of six questions (three open ques-
tions had led to the development of different teaching methods tions and three closed ones) on whether this type of research
and tools that overcome issues like one way communication, mayraise awareness to improve the instruction modes in phar-
passive audience and learning assessment. Many studies were macy education and investigating on whether the Saudi phar-
carried out to measure the impact of different teaching meth- macy students were well convinced and duly satisfied with the
ods adopted for pharmacy students (Khan et al., 2012). The applied methods of instruction. The survey tool was tested for
traditional chalkboard method was used which was replaced internal consistency and then piloted on random convenient
by computer-assisted multimedia methods, despite this devel- sample of pharmacy students in the College of Pharmacy, Taif
opment; the importance of class room-based learning should University. The piloted data was not included in the study
not be neglected. This was confirmed by Hossein and Abdus sample.
(2005), since, electronic teaching materials may contribute to-
ward passive learning and students only retain short-term
memory information. 2.4. Data processing
The objective of this study was to determine the students
opinions and preference on the adopted methods of instruction Data was processed by using the Statistical Package for Social
in pharmacy colleges in Saudi Arabia as well as to train them Sciences (SPSS), windows version (16). The differences in the
in doing a survey research. participants responses were analyzed with chi-square and
Fishers exact tests. The 0.05 level of significance was used as
2. Materials and methods a cutoff measure for statistical significance.
2.1. Design and setting 3. Results
This cross sectional study was carried out among final batches Table 1 showed that the majority of the responded students in
of pharmacy students in different randomly selected colleges of the current study were males 250 (83.3%), 164 (56.9%) of them
pharmacyinKSAintheyear2012.Theresearchworkwasap- aged above 22 years, 220 (73.3%) of the students were living in
proved and funded by the Secretariat of Postgraduates and urban areas. Interestingly, more than half of the heads of the
Scientific Research, Taif University. Personal consents were families 168 (56%) had a university level of education.
Please cite this article in press as: Yousif, M.A. et al., Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students
perception. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.06.005
Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students perception 3
Table 1 Basic demographic characteristics (N = 300). the study revealed a significant difference with a CGPA P 2.5
accumulated in the older students (117 (71.9%)), P < 0.001.
Demographic characteristics Frequency Percentage However, it was less prevalent among 42 (56.8%) of the stu-
Gender Males 250 83.3 dents who were originally from rural areas compared to 145
Females 50 16.7 (73.2%) urban ones. This difference was statistically signifi-
Age P22years 124 41.3 2
cant, X (1, N =273)=6.806, P=0.009. On the contrary,
<22 164 54.7 a high school certificate grade had no significant association
Missing 12 4 2
with the area of residence, X (1, N = 287) = 3.25, p = 0.071.
Family-Residence Urban 220 73.3 Table 2 shows that direct lecturing was the most adopted
Rural 79 26.3 type of instruction in colleges of pharmacy as revealed by
Missing 1 0.3 160 (53.3%) of the interviewed students. While 129 (43%) of
Family income (SR) <3000 45 15.0
3000–10000 96 32.0 them had admitted that combined direct and interactive meth-
>10000 155 51.7 ods of instruction were adopted at their colleges, only 9 (3.0%)
Missing 4 1.3 students reported that they had a mere interactive type of
Head of family education Illiterate 18 6.0 instruction. The direct lecturing type was preferred by 30
Primary 44 14.7 (18.5%) of the older aged students compared to a frequency
Intermediate 32 10.7 of 17 (13.7%) for the younger ones, (P = 0.016).
H. Secondary 38 12.7 Furthermore, for the use of electronic aids in teaching; 206
University 143 47.7 (68.7%) of the students admitted that they had a cocktail of
Curriculum type Postgraduate 25 8.3 traditional and electronic aids and 178 (59.3%) of them had
B. Pharm 117 39 preferred this method of lecture delivery.
Pharm. D 162 54
Missing 21 7 When correlating the gender to the given types of instruc-
High School grade <95 118 39.3 tion; males among themselves had shown a preference to the
P95 170 56.7 mixed type of instruction by using direct and interactive types
Missing 12 4 143 (57.7%), this mode of instruction was accepted by the
CGPA <2.5 85 28.3 majority of the female students 39 (78%). In general, the
P2.5 188 62.7 majority (182 (61.1%)) of both males and females students
Missing 27 9.0 agreed on the preference of the combined instruction method.
Genders preference to the selected type of instruction had
shown a significant association X2 (3, N = 298) =17.09,
P=0.001. Regarding curriculum type, the practice of hybrid
The students families with more than ten thousand Saudi method of lecture delivery; by using both traditional and elec-
Riyals (SR =3.76 US) of monthly income were dominant tronic methods; was reported by 117 (72.2%) and 78 (66.7%)
(155 (51.7%)). The majority of the responded students (162 of students from the colleges of pharmacy respectively adopt-
(54%)) were enrolled in Saudi colleges of pharmacy adopting ing Pharm. D and B. Pharm programs. This difference was sig-
a Pharm. D program. A total of 170 (56.7%) of the students nificant X2 (2, N = 279) = 8.18, P = 0.017.
had obtained more than 95% of secondary school grade upon Mostly half of students (146 (48.7%)) reported that, the
first intake at their colleges, in addition the majority of them languages of instruction were both English and Arabic, while
(188 (62.7%)) had a current cumulative grade point average 105 (35%) reported only English Language and surprisingly,
(CGPA) equal or more than 2.5. When exploring the effect 48 (16%) reported that the language of instruction was only
of age on the academic performance determined by the CGPA; Arabic. The most preferred language of instruction followed
Table 2 Students preference of methods and media of instruction (N = 300).
Total F (%) Gender Residence Age Curriculum type
*
Preferred instruction method Direct lectures 49 (16.3) 0.001 0.536 0.015 0.004
Interactive 58 (19.3)
1+2 182 (60.7)
Others 9 (3)
* *
Preferred lecture delivery method Traditional 41 (13.7) .005 0.869 .010 0.017
Electronic aids 77 (25.7)
1+2 178 (59.3)
Others 2 (0.7)
The preferred Language of instruction Arabic 44 (14.7) .154 .276 0.25 0.030
English 98 (32.7)
Both languages 157 (52.3)
* * *
Only lecturers notes 16 (5.3) 0.009 518 0.30 0.01
Preferred post lecture learning advice Handouts 123 (41)
Both methods 134 (44)
Other 16 (5.3)
* P value calculated by fisher exact test.
Please cite this article in press as: Yousif, M.A. et al., Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students
perception. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.06.005
4 M.A. Yousif et al.
similar distribution as the adopted ones, combined English and sented a source of highlighting the most probable topics
Arabic was preferred by 157 (52.3%), only English Language coming in the final exam as agreed by 111 (37.2%) of the re-
was preferred by 98 (32.7%) and only 44 (14.7%) of the stu- sponded students.
dents preferred Arabic Language as the medium of instruction.
Atotal of 115 (38.3%) of the tested students attributed their 4. Discussion
preference to the English Language as the medium of instruc-
tion because it is common and globally accepted one. Thecurrent study had explored the Saudi Students perception
The lecturers handouts were the most adopted method of on different methods and tools used in undergraduate instruc-
post-lecture learning as was reported by 140 (46.7%) of the tion. The increased number of male students (83%) reflected
respondents, followed by the self written notes combined with cultural as well as religious values since the local regulations
handouts (130 (43.3%)) and only 17 (5.7%) of the students strictly prohibited coeducation and this was indicated by the
used self-written notes as the sole post lecture-learning meth- increased number of new colleges that only accommodate male
od. A dominant number of students (134 (44.7%)) preferred students (Hassali et al., 2012; Hagemeier and Mason, 2011). A
the lecturers handouts combined with their own notes as study conducted in Qatar (Kheir et al., 2008) had reviewed the
post-lecture learning methods and only 16 (5.3%) of students pharmacy education in 13 Arabic countries, it revealed that
were solely dependent on their own lecture notes that were mostofthecolleges of pharmacy in the Arabic countries enroll
written during the lecturing process male and female students, while in Saudi Arabia students can
When applying Likert scales (Table 3), unexpectedly; a to- be accepted in the same college but they are being taught in to-
tal of 101 (33.9%) of the interviewed students had admitted tally separated campuses. In pharmacy colleges adopting a
that using modern methods in teaching was not a clear evi- coeducation type had in general a higher intake of female stu-
dence of updated mode of instruction, while only 66 (22.1%) dents compared to male ones.
had related the updated instruction to the use of advanced The head of family education may influence the enrollment
methods in teaching for undergraduate pharmacy students. in the colleges of pharmacy in Saudi Arabia, as was revealed
With respect to students dependence on the lecturers hand- that 56% of the heads of the families of the participants in this
outs as a source of post-lecture revision; the majority of inter- study had at least a university level of education. Therefore, it
viewed students (127 (43.2%)) had shown an agreement while, is implied that parents who had a university degree were keen-
18 (6.1%) strongly disagreed. Interestingly, the refrain from er to educate their sons and daughters at university level, or
using references post classroom lectures by the interviewed stu- they were better guiding them in scoring higher grades and
dents synchronizes the trend of using handouts with only hence their sons would have a better chance of acceptance in
scarce number of them 22 ((7.4%)) having a strong competitive college programs such as pharmacy. In conform-
disagreement. ing to the previously mentioned results; a study conducted in
Regarding students supervision and mentoring by teaching USA, by Vongvanith et al. (2012) clearly demonstrated the
staff; mostly half (146 (49.3%)) of the study participants relationship between head of family education and the higher
agreed of having fair guidance and support when referring to possibility of doing better in the colleges of pharmacy intake
their lecturers. When investigating interactive teaching; deter- exam and consequently those students would represent the
mined by the time allocated for participation throughout the majority of the enrolled ones.
lectures; 127 (43.8%) and 82 (28.3%) of the responded stu- The majority of the colleges of pharmacy were adopting a
dents agreed and disagreed respectively. Greater majority of clinically oriented type of pharmacy education. This was
the participated pharmacy students were fascinated by the pre- clearly indicated by the increased number of colleges following
sentations of the lectures in their colleges which was reflected a patient centered type of pharmacy education as indicated by
by agreement of 155 (52%) and even strong agreement among the majority (58.1%) of the enrolled students who joined a
66 (22%) of them. Students opinions about using visual aids Pharm D program.
and posters in lecture; ranged between agreement of 83 The developing trend of pharmacy education from only di-
(28%) and disagreement of 81 (27.4%). Regarding the belief rect classroom lectures to the problem based learning ap-
of the students whether their lecturers were concerned about proach had led to the implementation of different learning
their comprehension of the taught subjects; 123 (41.8%) of techniques. Educational messages to be delivered through dif-
them agreed, while 52 (17.7%) of the students showed a dis- ferent channels to assure students comprehension with in-
agreement and 58 (19.7%) were neutral. Assigning grades for creased duration of retaining the taught information were
the attendance in the final evaluation was strongly recom- adopted. However, combinedtype of instruction requires more
mendedby68(22.8%)ofthestudentsthat it would have a po- efforts because it includes case studies and skills that were used
sitive impact on the students focus on the lectures and on the throughout the practice of small groups teaching methods
overall final grades. which require increased quantity and quality of the teaching
Interestingly; most of the applied Likert scales (Table 3) staff. Up to date, students perceptions toward pharmacy edu-
were significantly associated with the curriculum type, with cation practice represented the most common utilized method
exception of students dependence on handouts in studying, for teaching evaluation (Barnett et al., 2003).
and not using references in post lecture revision. When deter- Thedirect lecturing type was reported by the interviewed fi-
mining the association between gender and the given Likert nal year Saudi pharmacy students as the most adopted type of
scales, all students responses were not statistically significant instruction in the colleges of pharmacy in K.S.A (53.7%),
except for their views regarding easiness and clarity of lectures, however; the combined direct and interactive one was greatly
P=001. The importance of pre-exam revision lecture repre- preferred by the majority (59.7%) of them. Furthermore, a
Please cite this article in press as: Yousif, M.A. et al., Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students
perception. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2013.06.005
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