Empowering students in curriculum design and pedagogy: Perceptions of pharmacy students as partners; A qualitative study
Maharajan, Mari Kannan, Sivapalan, Subarna, and Rajiah, Kingston (2025) Empowering students in curriculum design and pedagogy: Perceptions of pharmacy students as partners; A qualitative study. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 17 (4). 102280.
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Abstract
Introduction: The concept of “Students as Partners” (SaP) in curriculum design and pedagogy marks a significant shift towards relational pedagogical approaches in higher education. This study explored pharmacy students' perceptions of the SaP approach, focusing on their involvement in curriculum design and the perceived benefits and challenges of such partnerships. Methods: A qualitative research design was employed, utilising one-on-one interviews with pharmacy students at a university in Malaysia. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Thematic analysis revealed five core themes: student involvement in curriculum design, perceived benefits in students as partners, challenges in active learning environments, suggestions to improve relational pedagogy, and empowerment through student involvement in curriculum design. Students mentioned that the relationship as partners with educators will be beneficial and mentioned challenges, such as hierarchical barriers and communication issues. They suggested increased training and support, more frequent feedback mechanisms, and clearer communication channels to foster effective partnerships. Conclusion: Students perceived that their engagement could lead to significant changes in their academic journeys. This participatory approach aligns with outcome-based educational goals and enhances the overall learning experience by making the content more relevant to students' needs and aspirations. The SaP approach has transformative potential in higher education.
| Item ID: | 89758 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1877-1300 |
| Keywords: | Curriculum design, Pedagogy, Pharmacy education, Qualitative research, Student engagement, Students as partners |
| Copyright Information: | © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
| Date Deposited: | 11 May 2026 01:00 |
| FoR Codes: | 39 EDUCATION > 3901 Curriculum and pedagogy > 390199 Curriculum and pedagogy not elsewhere classified @ 100% |
| SEO Codes: | 16 EDUCATION AND TRAINING > 1601 Learner and learning > 160102 Higher education @ 100% |
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