A Survey of Students' Attitudes and Comments about Needed Changes in Communication Skills Learning in Zambia: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

Introduction: Challenges abound in 21st-century medical education due to the rapidly changing health, technological, socio-political, and economic social milieus, implying the need for a health force that can traverse the complexities of modern society. To meet the demands of the complex and interconnected modern world, medical education is on the tangent to producing doctors competent in the art and science of medicine through the mastery of interpersonal, communication, and clinical skills. Training in communication skills has become a component of undergraduate medical training in many nations. Students’ attitudes to learning influence their interest, self-reflexivity, and mastery of concepts and skills. This study sought to determine the attitudes of undergraduate medical students in Zambia regarding their experiences of communication skills learning. Methods: Undergraduate students from two medical schools in Zambia who participated in communication skills training completed the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) and a demographic questionnaire. The quantitative observational design used the SPSS software to facilitate the computation of the descriptive statistics on the mean scores and standard deviations of the CSAS global, subscales, and individual-items scores. Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the reliability and validity of the measure and dataset. Results: There was a 96.1% response rate to the distributed questionnaires. The global mean score was 103.6, 55.5 on the positive attitude subscale, and 48.0 on the negative subscale. The students’ comments highlighted teaching-learning methods, course length, and timing as issues of concern. Conclusion: Despite the favourable disposition of undergraduate medical students in Zambia toward learning communication skills, teaching methods, course timing, and length hinder knowledge and skills transfer.