A Mixed-Methods Analysis in Assessing Students' Professional Development by Applying an Assessment for Learning...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Professional Development Assessment

Background:

• Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standard 4.4 requires assessment of doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students' professional development.
• Existing assessment methods may not fully capture the nuances of professional growth in pharmacy students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate an approach for assessing PharmD students' professional development.
• To align assessment practices with ACPE Standard 4.4 requirements.

Main Methods:

• Employed a mixed-methods approach, triangulating qualitative and quantitative data.
• Qualitative data: Electronic developmental portfolios focusing on professionalism and ethics.
• Quantitative data: Defining Issues Test (DIT) to assess moral development.

Main Results:

• Student reflections in portfolios indicated qualitative growth in professionalism and ethics.
• Defining Issues Test (DIT) scores showed significant initial improvement in the lower-performing 50% of students.
• Both 2015 and 2016 PharmD classes demonstrated positive overall development, with the 2016 class showing continued substantial growth.

Conclusions:

• A mixed-methods approach effectively assesses PharmD students' professional development.
• Triangulation of portfolio reflections and DIT scores confirms professional growth during didactic studies.
• The described assessment strategy supports ACPE Standard 4.4 by demonstrating student professional development.