Process-oriented guided inquiry learning strategy enhances students' higher level thinking skills in a pharmaceutical...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Active Learning Strategies

Background:

• Traditional lecture methods may not fully engage students or develop critical thinking skills.
• Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences courses require a strong foundation in both knowledge recall and higher-order thinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) teaching strategy on academic performance.
• To assess the effect of POGIL on the development of higher-level thinking skills in first-year pharmacy students.
• To gauge student perceptions of the POGIL teaching strategy.

Main Methods:

• A comparative study design was employed, analyzing examination scores over three years.
• Data were collected on overall scores and scores for questions categorized by cognitive demand (higher-level vs. lower-level thinking).
• Student perceptions of the POGIL strategy were gathered and evaluated.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in overall mean examination scores was observed with the implementation of POGIL.
• Student performance on higher-level thinking questions significantly increased, while performance on lower-level thinking questions remained unchanged.
• Student feedback regarding the POGIL strategy was predominantly positive.

Conclusions:

• The POGIL strategy demonstrably enhances overall student performance in pharmaceutical sciences.
• POGIL effectively promotes the development of critical higher-level thinking skills essential for pharmacy students.
• The interactive nature of POGIL contributes to a positive learning environment and student engagement.