Effective Teaching Skills in Pharmacy Practice Education

ABSTRACT

Experiential education is a core curriculum of 6-year pharmacy education. Practicing pharmacists lie at the heart of experiential education serving as preceptors for undergraduate pharmacy students during experiential education. Preceptors are, however, confronted with a challenge of caring for patients and teaching students at the same time in a time-constrained environment. To improve the effectiveness and outcomes of experiential education, practicing pharmacists are required to demonstrate educational competence. Even small teaching moments can provide students with valuable learning opportunities that they could not have from on their own. Thus, it is vital to provide education and training for preceptors to advance their teaching skills. This article will describe practical and effective teaching skills that preceptors could adopt in the experiential education for pharmacy students. It is important that preceptors should use different teaching skills for different learners, according to their level of experience and knowledge, learning styles and needs, as well as the type of the practice. Therefore, possessing diverse teaching skills provides flexibility to adapt teaching to each student's learning levels and needs, and to the charateristics of the practice environment. Preceptors' level of confidence and comfort in using teaching skills can be enhanced through continuous practice and training, which consequently leads to the improved effectiveness of experiential education and student's satisfaction with the education.