Education
p-ISSN: 2162-9463 e-ISSN: 2162-8467
2019; 9(4): 68-75
doi:10.5923/j.edu.20190904.02
Aubrey Chichonyi Kalungia1, 2, Patrick Kaonga3, Derick Munkombwe2, Georgina Mulundu4, Michael Chigunta2, James Sichone2, Chiluba Mwila1, Sekelani Banda2
1Department of Pharmacy, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
2Department of Medical Education Development, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
3Department of Internal Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
4Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
Correspondence to: Aubrey Chichonyi Kalungia, Department of Pharmacy, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
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Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Scientific & Academic Publishing.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Background: Existing evidence suggests that most students undertaking health science programmes lack adequate learning and study skills. Aim: To develop and assess the potential effect of a deep learning and study skills elective module on undergraduate pharmacy students’ learning approach. Methods: A quasi-experimental study adopting a pretest-posttest design was conducted. An elective module dubbed ‘Orientation and Approaches to Deep Learning and Study Skills’ (OADLSS) was developed and experimented as an adjunct educational intervention. Forty-six (46) undergraduate pharmacy students were enrolled with 25 participants undertaking the OADLSS module and 21 participants constituting the non-intervention (control) group. The Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) questionnaire was used to measure learning approaches before and 4-weeks after the intervention. Student’s t-tests and margins plots were used to compare approaches to learning within and across groups. Results: Participants that undertook the OADLSS elective module found it relevant and useful for enhancing their learning. Mean scores for strategic learning approach significantly reduced from 27.20 ± 1.94 (95%CI: 26.40 – 28.00) to 26.00 ± 3.09 (95% CI: 24.72 – 27.28, p = 0.0245) among OADLSS participants compared to controls (25.05 ± 4.38; 95%CI: 23.06 – 27.04 to 24.38 ± 3.28; 95%CI: 22.89 – 25.87, p = 0.5079). Deep learning scores minimally increased from 23.68 ± 3.26 (95%CI: 22.23 – 25.03) to 24.08 ± 3.64 (95%CI: 22.58 – 25.58) but this was not statistically significant (p = 0.5924) and did not predict high academic performance after the OADLSS intervention. Conclusion: An adjunct learning and study skills intervention produced minimal immediate changes to deep learning and studying approach. The potential influence of the educational intervention can be further enhanced by accompanying changes to the learning environment, educational strategies of the curriculum and educators, including assessment modalities utilised.
Keywords: Approaches to learning, Pharmacy students, Quasi-experiment, Study skills, Zambia
Cite this paper: Aubrey Chichonyi Kalungia, Patrick Kaonga, Derick Munkombwe, Georgina Mulundu, Michael Chigunta, James Sichone, Chiluba Mwila, Sekelani Banda, Development and Evaluation of an Educational Intervention to Enhance Deep Learning and Study Skills among Pharmacy Students in Zambia, Education, Vol. 9 No. 4, 2019, pp. 68-75. doi: 10.5923/j.edu.20190904.02.
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Figure 1. Predictive margins of the OADLSS intervention on learning approaches and academic performance in assessments |