Influence of student characteristics on satisfaction with pharmacy course.
Keywords:
National student survey, Pre-registration students, Satisfaction, Undergraduate studentsAbstract
Objectives: To describe how characteristics of newly graduated pharmacy students may influence their perceptions of, and satisfactions with, an undergraduate pharmacy course.Methods: In 2007, a piloted postal questionnaire based on the National Student Survey (NSS), which is administered to final year undergraduate students in all universities in England and Northern Ireland and in some in Scotland and Wales, was sent to all 98 pharmacy pre-registration students who had newly graduated from a UK university.Results: A response rate of 52% was achieved; 84% of the respondents were satisfied with the quality of the course. Characteristics, such as reasons for choosing to study pharmacy and selecting the university, country of origin and language background influenced satisfaction.Conclusion: Characteristics may influence students’satisfaction with an undergraduate pharmacy course; further research is required into how the expectations of students may be managed and courses enhanced.References
Field, A. (2000). Discovering statistics using SPSS for Windows. Trowbridge: Sage Publications.
Fisher, A., McAteer, S., & Brown, D. (2008). A cross-culture comparison of UK, German and Australian pharmacy undergraduates' views on their education, status and international work opportunities. Pharmacy Education, 8,59-67.
Higgins, R., Hartley,P.,& Skelton, A.(2002).The conscientious consumer: reconsidering the role of assessment feedback in student learning. Studies in Higher Education, 27,53-64.
Higher Education Funding Council for England (2008). National student survey. Higher Education Funding Council for England [On-line]. Available: www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/nss [Accessed: 15.1.2009]
Horsburgh, M., Lamdin, R.,& Williamson, E. (2001). Multiprofessional learning: the attitudes of medical, nursing and pharmacy students to shared learning. Medical Education, 35,876-883.
Long, A. J., Ingram, M. J., Pugh, W. J., Bowes, P., Haigh, S. J., & Moss, G. P. (2008). The effect of language background on teaching and learning in the master of pharmacy degree. Pharmacy Education, 8,45-52.
McPherson, K., Headrick, L., & Moss, F. (2001). Working and learning together: good quality care depends on it, but how can we achieve it? Quality in Health Care, 10(suppl II),46-53.
Murdan, S. (2002). Feedback from examinations: returning marked examination scripts to students. Pharmacy Education, 2,167-170.
Parkhurst, C. (2007). A communication course for a linguistically diverse student population. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 71,1-7.
Phipps, S. D., Kidd, R. S., & Latif, D. A. (2006). Relationships among student evaluations, instructor effectiveness, and academic performance. Pharmacy Education, 6,237-243.
Quality Assurance Agency (2000). Pharmacology and Pharmacy 1998 to 2000: QAA subject overview report. Quality Assurance Agency [On-line].
Available: www.qaa.ac.uk/reviews/reports/subjectlevel/qo2_00.pdf [Accessed: 15.1.2009]
Quality Assurance Agency (2006). Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education. Section 7: programme design, approval, monitoring and review -September 2006. Quality Assurance Agency [On-line].
Available:http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section7/programmedesign.pdf [Accessed: 2.5.2007
RPSGB (2002). Accreditation of UK pharmacy degree courses. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain [On-l i n e ] . Available : h t t p ://www.rpsgb.org.uk/pdf s/eddegnewreq.pdf [Accessed: 15.1.2009]
RPSGB (2006). Pre-registration training. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain [Online].
Available: http://www.rpsgb.org.uk/pdfs/preregbriefing0608.pdf [Accessed: 24.2.2009]
RPSGB (2010). Undergraduate education. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain [Online]. Available: http://www.r p s gb.org.uk/acareerinpharmacy/undergraduate education/
[Accessed: 7.6.2010]
Smith, F. (2002). Research methods in pharmacy practice. Padstow: Pharmaceutical Press.
Surridge, P. (2008). The national student survey 2005-2007: findings and trendsHigher education funding council for England.
Taylor, K. M. G., Bates, I. P., & Harding, G. (2004). The implications of increasing student numbers for pharmacy education. Pharmacy Education, 4,33-39.
UK HE Europe Unit (2006). Guide to the Bologna process. Europe Unit [Online] Available: http://www.europeunit.ac.uk/resources/Guide%20to%20the%20Bologna%20Process%20-%20Edition%202.pdf [Accessed 1.5.2007].
Willis, S. & Hassell, K. (2004). With a pharmacy degree you know where you're heading(Rep. No. 1). Centre for Pharmacy Workforce Studies.
Wilson, K., Jesson, J., Langley, C., Hatfield, K., & Clarke, L. (2006). Pharmacy undergraduate students: career choices & expectations across a four-year degree programme London: Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.