Connecting basic science and pharmacy practice using an Intention/Reflection teaching practice to foster engagement,...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Curricular Integration
• Metacognitive Skills

Background:

• Pharmacy curricula often separate basic science and practice, hindering student application and engagement.
• Students struggle with connecting classroom learning to professional practice and developing metacognition.
• This study investigated the Intention/Reflection (I/R) practice's potential to bridge this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an Intention/Reflection (I/R) practice on pharmacy students' engagement.
• To assess the influence of I/R on students' growth mindset and metacognitive abilities.
• To determine if I/R enhances the perceived connection between basic science and pharmacy practice.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving 156 second-year PharmD students across two pharmacy colleges.
• Implemented an instructional unit with and without the I/R practice (baseline comparison).
• Collected quantitative data via pre/mid/post surveys and qualitative data from student reflections on the I/R practice's value.

Main Results:

• Quantitative analysis showed increased student engagement, including professional pride and energy.
• Qualitative findings indicated 81.5% of students found I/R beneficial, reporting enhanced metacognition and clearer practice connections.
• Despite a modest decrease in survey-measured metacognition, qualitative data highlighted improved reflective awareness.

Conclusions:

• The Intention/Reflection (I/R) practice is an effective, scalable instructional strategy for pharmacy education.
• I/R promotes meaningful learning by boosting engagement and the perceived relevance of basic sciences to practice.
• This approach aids in developing essential lifelong learning skills for contemporary pharmacy practice.