Evaluating educational service quality in novel pharmacy programmes

• Published in: Pharmacy Education
• Main Author: Lua P.L.; Wahab I.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Pharmaceutical Federation 2007
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34347250118&doi=10.1080%2f15602210701264769&partnerID=40&md5=20940c7fb6958fc20cf3750cf6c55fcf

To continuously improve educational service quality (ESQ), student-focused educational outcome assessment is crucial for professional programmes such as pharmacy. This study aims (1) to evaluate the new Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) (BPharm) programme, and (2) to explore relationships between ESQ domains. The modified 39-item ESQ instrument (Holdford & Reinders, 2001) consists of the following themes: Facilities, Lecturers' Interpersonal Behaviour, Lecturers' Expertise, Lecturers' Communication and Administrative Staff. In addition to this measure, supplementary items on Courses, Satisfaction and Miscellaneous Matters were administered to all final year BPharm undergraduates in Malaysia (n = 28; mean age = 23 years; females = 23). Mean ESQ dimension scores were 3.52 (Administrative Staff), 4.25 (Lecturers' Expertise) and 3.84 (Satisfaction), indicating high quality services. Significantly strong associations were found between Satisfaction and Lecturers' Interpersonal Behaviour (Spearman's rho = 0.64, p < 0;0.001) and between Satisfaction and Courses (rho = 0.78, p < 0.001). Therefore, undergraduates' opinions were that the quality of the pharmacy degree programme was between above average to good in all ESQ dimensions, with the highest satisfaction being with lecturers' interpersonal conduct.