Exploring Factors That Influence Student Engagement in Community-Engaged Learning Activities Within a Pharmacy Context

• Published in: American journal of pharmaceutical education Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 8637 - 303
• Main Authors: Fang, Kayla M., Lau, Gilly C., Park, Jamie Y., Tchen, Paulo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2022; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; Elsevier Limited; American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
• Subjects: Accountability; Behavioral Objectives; Career Development; Community service; community service learning; community-engaged learning; Doctor of pharmacy degree; Drug stores; Education; Education, Pharmacy; Educational research; Extracurricular activities; Graduate students; Humans; Interviews; Learner Engagement; Learning; Learning activities; Medical education; Pharmaceutical Education; Pharmaceutical Services; Pharmacies; Pharmacists; Pharmacy; Psychological aspects; Qualitative research; Reflective teaching; Service learning; Social aspects; Student Development; student engagement; Student Motivation; Student participation; Student service; Students, Pharmacy; Study and teaching; Canada; United States > US; pharmacy; community-engaged learning; community service learning; student engagement; student motivation
• ISSN: 0002-9459; 1553-6467
• DOI: 10.5688/ajpe8637

Objective. To investigate and identify factors that enhance and restrict Doctor of Pharmacy student engagement in mandatory and voluntary community-engaged learning activities. Methods. A phenomenological study exploring the motivations and barriers faced by pharmacy students in a mandatory community-engaged learning course and voluntary community-engaged learning activities (eg, community outreach) was conducted using semi-structured interviews. Fifteen students were randomly selected to participate in the interviews. Student responses were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Results. Primary factors motivating student engagement in mandatory community-engaged learning included having structured learning activities for students and incorporating reflective learning. Motivating factors for students participating in voluntary community-engaged learning included personal interest in the topic, convenient location and time of activity, opportunity for career development, and the chance to advocate for the pharmacy profession. Overlapping motivations for both mandatory and voluntary community-engaged learning included developing a better understanding of and broader perspective on the diverse populations in the community and having a positive impact. Common barriers identified included having limited information about student responsibilities, being given a limited student role, and feeling unconfident or unprepared. Conclusion. Students perceived benefits from both mandatory and voluntary participation in community-engaged learning activities. However, opportunities exist for identifying and managing barriers to enhancing student engagement in community-engaged learning within a pharmacy program. Additionally, learning tools such as critical reflection can be used to further enhance student engagement with community-engaged learning activities.