Measuring Achievement Goal Orientations of Pharmacy Students |
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Authors: | Paul Gavaza Thomas Muthart Ghous M Khan |
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Institution: | aDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Oakwood, Virginia;bDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Appalachian College of Pharmacy, Oakwood, Virginia |
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Abstract: | Objectives. To measure the achievement goal orientations of pharmacy students attending a 3-year (accelerated) doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program.Methods. A 16-item survey based on the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) was administered to first-year (P1) and second-year (P2) pharmacy students at the Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP). Students were instructed to indicate to what degree each statement was true for them using a 7-point Likert scale (1=not true of me, 7=very true of me).Results. One hundred twenty of the 155 students (77%) completed the survey. Most students had mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-approach, and/or performance-avoidance goal orientations; few had work-avoidance goal orientations. Second-year students and male students had higher work-avoidance mean scores than did P1 students and female students (p<0.05).Conclusion. Pharmacy students were mastery- and performance-oriented learners, and most did not have work-avoidance goal orientations. Male students and P2 students had higher work-avoidance than did female students and P1 students, respectively. More longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings. |
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Keywords: | pharmacy students motivation attitudes pharmacy education |
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