The Student Engagement Effect of Team-Based Learning on Student Pharmacists

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Team-based learning (TBL) is an active learning strategy increasingly used in health professions education.
• Understanding the psychological state of student engagement within TBL is crucial for optimizing its effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively explore student pharmacists' experiences of psychological engagement within the team-based learning (TBL) pedagogical framework.
• To characterize student engagement in TBL using Kearsley and Shneiderman's relate, create, and donate components.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative case study design was employed.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 student pharmacists.
• Data were deductively coded into predetermined engagement components (relate, create, donate).

Main Results:

• Seven common themes emerged: accountability, communication, conflict, learning, preparation, purpose, and teamwork.
• Student pharmacists predominantly experienced engagement through the 'relate' component (41%), followed by 'donate' (32%) and 'create' (27%).
• Relate component engagement was characterized by team support and trust.

Conclusions:

• Findings align with existing research suggesting TBL fosters engagement skills in student pharmacists.
• This study uniquely characterizes how student pharmacists perceive and interpret psychological engagement within TBL.
• The 'relate' component, driven by communication, conflict resolution, and teamwork, is central to student pharmacists' engagement in TBL.