The Health Education Learning Environment Survey: Factor Structure Analysis with Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. While high-quality learning environments are increasingly recognized as vital for health professions education programs and student success, there are no tools that have been validated for use within the pharmacy education context. This study seeks to assess whether the six-factor structure of the Health Education Learning Environment Survey (HELES) will replicate in a sample of pharmacy students.

Methods. The study was conducted in a Doctor of Pharmacy program offered at a Western Canadian university. A sample of 288 pharmacy students, across two years of data collection, completed the 35-item HELES as an anonymous and online survey.

Results. While the six-factor model of the HELES, as a whole, did not replicate through confirmatory factor analysis, a follow-up examination of unidimensionality for the individual subscales of the HELES showed that five of the six subscales met this requirement. One subscale, the work-life balance subscale, was better represented by the dimensions of time management and emotional well-being.

Conclusion. These results provide preliminary support for the use of the HELES among pharmacy students, with additional research being needed to explore the work-life balance subscale and its appropriateness for this student group. In Canada, the HELES has the potential to fill an existing local and national gap in available program evaluation tools needed for gathering evidence on pharmacy program quality, strengths, and weaknesses, and to inform continuous quality improvement efforts and accreditation standards.