Investigating the Relationship Between Pharmacy Students’ Achievement Goal Orientations and Preferred Teacher Qualities

• Published in: American journal of pharmaceutical education Vol. 78; no. 7; p. 135
• Main Authors: Alrakaf, Saleh, Sainsbury, Erica, Rose, Grenville, Smith, Lorraine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15-09-2014; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Achievement; achievement goals; Cohort Studies; Consumer Behavior; Education; Faculty - standards; Female; Goals; Humans; Male; Management; Medical education; motivation; Pharmacists; pharmacy education; student preferences; Students, Pharmacy - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; teacher qualities; Young Adult; pharmacy education; achievement goals; student preferences; motivation; teacher qualities
• ISSN: 0002-9459; 1553-6467
• DOI: 10.5688/ajpe787135

Objective. To investigate the relationships between pharmacy students’ preferred teacher qualities and their academic achievement goal orientations.
Methods. Participants completed an achievement goal questionnaire and a build-a-teacher task. For the latter, students were given a $20 hypothetical budget to purchase amounts of 9 widely valued teachers’ qualities.
Results. Three hundred sixty-six students participated. Students spent most of their budget on the traits of enthusiasm, expertise, and clear presentation style, and the least amount of money on interactive teaching, reasonable workload, warm personality, and intellectually challenging. In relation to achievement goals, negative associations were found between avoidance goals and preferences for teachers who encourage rigorous thinking and self-direction.
Conclusion. These novel findings provide a richer profile of the ways students respond to their learning environment. Understanding the relationships between teachers’ characteristics and pharmacy students’ achievement goal orientations will contribute to improving the quality of pharmacy learning and teaching environments.