Analysis of the educational needs for English in pharmacy: The perspectives of Pharmacy School lecturers and students

Abstract

Background: Science is constantly advancing, and educational content must be updated accordingly to meet students’ academic needs. This study aimed to assess the educational needs of both students and instructors for English in pharmacy. Methods: This qualitative study included a sample of 65 junior pharmacy students and a total of 11 pharmacy lecturers at Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences during the academic year 2020-2021. The students were selected using purposive sampling methods while the lecturers were selected through consensus sampling. Based on previous studies analyzing the educational needs of ESP and through verbal communication with students, an interview protocol was developed. Data were collected through structured interviews with the participants, and the findings were presented using descriptive statistics. Results: The lecturers believed that reading comprehension is the most crucial skill, followed by writing, speaking, and listening, respectively. However, students mentioned that the need for speaking skills is almost as important as the need for other skills. They expressed their enthusiasm for communicating verbally in specific contexts, such as scientific conferences, highlighted the need for learning pharmacy terminology, academic writing skills, prescription abbreviations, and medical terminology, respectively. The participants in our course anticipate that it will be co-facilitated by TEFL specialists and pharmacists." Conclusion: Both language instructors and pharmacists should take immediate action to advance Pharmacy ESP. Reading comprehension is a crucial skill for this course. Writing skills can be improved through educational workshops. The prerequisite and general English syllabi should be enriched with a focus on speaking skills or extracurricular courses should be devoted to developing students’ competencies. In this manner, the listening skills will be improved as well.