Pharmacy education instruction: Preference and practices, Saudi students’ perception

Aim/BackgroundThe methods of instruction in pharmacy education are crucial and meant to suit the professional development and encompass the advanced variety of services and functions provided by the pharmacists to serve individual patients. The aim of this study was to determine the students’ opinions on the adopted and preferred methods of instruction in pharmacy colleges in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.MethodsOpinions of Saudi pharmacy students regarding the adopted methods of learning were measured using a pretested questionnaire combined with Likert-type scales.ResultsThree hundred pharmacy students were interviewed. Direct type of lecturing was dominant (53.7%). The most frequently used language of instruction was combined English and Arabic (48.8%), that was mostly preferred by 52.5% of the students. Handouts were the most adopted post-lecture learning method (48.3%), while only 5.9% used student’s self-written notes. A cocktail of traditional and electronic aids was used as admitted by 68.7% and 59.3% of the students who preferred this lecture delivery method. Almost half (49.3%) of the students agreed of having a routine fair guidance and support when referring to their lecturers.ConclusionThe study outcomes had revealed a practical guidance to be considered for instituting preferred modes of instruction to upgrading students’ capacities for better understanding and acquiring academic and professional skills.