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. 2019 Dec;83(10):7074.
doi: 10.5688/ajpe7074.

Evaluation of a Situational Judgement Test to Develop Non-Academic Skills in Pharmacy Students

Fiona Patterson  1 , Kirsten Galbraith  2 , Charlotte Flaxman  1 , Carl M J Kirkpatrick  2
Affiliations

Evaluation of a Situational Judgement Test to Develop Non-Academic Skills in Pharmacy Students

Fiona Patterson et al. Am J Pharm Educ. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

Objective. To design, implement, and psychometrically evaluate a situational judgement test (SJT) to use as a formative assessment of pharmacy students' non-academic skills in an Australian-based university. Methods. An SJT was developed using a previously validated design process including involvement of subject matter experts. The first phase included design of a blueprint through stakeholder consultation and the development of bespoke attribute definitions and a tool specification. Following on from this, SJT items were developed through subject matter expert interviews and in-depth review process. Results. Students (702) from four different cohorts (first through fourth years) of a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program completed the situational judgment test. Data from 648 students was eligible for inclusion in the analysis. The SJT demonstrated good reliability, appropriateness for use (difficulty and quality), fairness, and face validity. The variability in students' scores suggested that the SJT may be a useful metric to identify students most in need of additional support. Conclusion. Evaluation of the SJT demonstrated that the tool was valid, reliable, fair and appropriate to use as a formative assessment. Through implementing an SJT such as this, pharmacy students are provided the opportunity to receive feedback on their non-academic skills and consider how to approach challenging or unfamiliar situations before entering the profession.

Keywords: development; non-academic; pharmacy education; situational judgement test.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Situational Judgement Test Development Process
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Histogram to Demonstrate Distribution of Total SJT Scores
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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