Enhanced numeracy skills following team-based learning in United States pharmacy students: a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract

Purpose: The literature suggests that the ability to numerate cannot be fully understood without accounting for the social context in which mathematical activity is represented. Team-based learning (TBL) is an andragogical approach with theoretical links to sociocultural and community-of-practice learning. This study aimed to quantitatively explore the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development in 2 cohorts of pharmacy students and identify the impact of TBL instruction on numeracy development from a social perspective for healthcare education.Methods: Two cohorts of students were administered the Health Science Reasoning Test-Numeracy (HSRT-N) before beginning pharmacy school. Two years after using TBL as the primary method of instruction, both comprehensive and domain data from the HSRT-N were analyzed.Results: In total, 163 pharmacy student scores met the inclusion criteria. The students’ numeracy skills measured by HSRT-N improved after 2 years of TBL instruction.Conclusion: Numeracy was the most significantly improved HSRT-N domain in pharmacy students following two years of TBL instruction. Although a closer examination of numeracy development in TBL is warranted, initial data suggest that TBL instruction may be an adequate proxy for advancing numeracy in a cohort of pharmacy students. TBL may encourage a social practice of mathematics to improve pharmacy students’ ability to numerate critically.

How Important of Students' Literacy and Numeracy Skills in Facing 21st-Century Challenges: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The review results indicated that Numeracy skills greatly enhanced the HSRT-N domain in pharmacy students (Carpenter et al, 2022;Genlott & Grönlund, 2013). Reading skills were enhanced in writing skills.…”

“…Some important points which are the strengths of this SLR are the disparity in achievement in literacy skills shows that not all students can solve broadly related general problems in everyday life (Anwar, 2021;Carpenter et al, 2022;Johar et al, 2022). As a result, literacy and numercy research to support 21st century skills is urgently needed, especially in remote and isolated areas.…”