This paper presents the initial findings from a longitudinal quantitative study of two cohorts of students who entered the 10 pre-qualifying programmes of the Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK. The overall aim of the study is to explore students' attitudes to collaborative learning and collaborative working, both before and after qualification. On entry to the faculty, 852 students from all 10 programmes completed the UWE Entry Level Interprofessional Questionnaire, which gathered baseline data concerning their self-assessment of communication and teamwork skills, and their attitudes towards interprofessional learning and interprofessional interaction. Comparative analysis of these data was undertaken in terms of demographic variables such as age (i.e. older or younger than 21 years), experience of higher education, prior work experience and choice of professional programme. The results indicate that most students rated their communication and teamwork skills positively, and were favourably inclined towards interprofessional learning, but held negative opinions about interprofessional interaction. Some student groups differed in their responses to some sections of the questionnaire. Mature students, and those with experience of higher education or of working in health or social care settings, displayed relatively negative opinions about interprofessional interaction; social work and occupational therapy students were particularly negative in their responses, even after adjustment for confounding demographic variables. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for interprofessional educational initiatives and for professional practice.

A study in an English Faculty of Health and Social Care explores the effects of a pre-qualifying interprofessional curriculum incorporating interprofessional modules in each year of study. The study design involves collecting data on entry to the Faculty, after completion of the second interprofessional module, on qualification and after 9 months qualified practice. At each point, students complete questionnaires concerning communication and teamwork skills and interprofessional learning and working. This paper presents results from 723 students at the second data collection point. Although most students were positive about their communication and teamwork skills, they were less positive than on entry to the Faculty. Similarly there was a negative shift in students' attitudes to interprofessional learning and interprofessional interaction. Nevertheless, most students were positive about their own interprofessional relationships. Mature students' responses were more positive than those of younger students. The emergence of differences in responses based on a professional programme suggests that interprofessional education may not necessarily influence professional socialization. Demographic and professional variables affecting students' responses in their second year of study demonstrate the complexity of student learning. The planned follow-up of the students will show whether variables affecting interim data have a long-term effect on attitudes.

A longitudinal quantitative study in an English faculty of health and social care explored the effects of a pre-qualifying interprofessional curriculum for students from 10 professional programmes. Students on the interprofessional curriculum completed questionnaires containing four attitude scales on entry to the faculty, during their second year and at the end of their final year. At qualification, 581 students (76.9% of those qualifying) completed scales concerning their communication and teamwork skills, their attitudes towards interprofessional learning, their perceptions of interaction between health and social care professionals, and their opinions about their own (inter)professional relationships. Questionnaires were completed at both entry and qualification by 526 students (69.8% of those qualifying), and at all three points by 468 students (61.9% of those qualifying). A comparison group of 250 students (67.6% of those qualifying) on the previous uniprofessional curricula also completed questionnaires at qualification. Students on the interprofessional curriculum showed no significant change in their self-assessment of their communication and teamwork skills between entering the faculty and qualification. However, there was a negative shift in their attitudes to interprofessional learning and interprofessional interaction. Nevertheless, most students were positive about their own professional relationships at qualification. Students with previous experience of higher education were comparatively positive about their communication and teamwork skills, as were female students about interprofessional learning. However, the strongest influence on students' attitudes at qualification appeared to be professional programme. This suggests that interprofessional education does not inhibit the development of profession-specific attitudes. Students who qualified on the interprofessional curriculum were more positive about their own professional relationships than those who qualified on the previous uniprofessional curricula. These data suggest that experiencing an interprofessional curriculum has an effect on students' attitudes at qualification, particularly with regard to their positive perception of their own professional relationships.

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