Laboratory skills are fundamental to numerous careers that lead on from Biomedical Science degrees and are important when preparing students for graduate employment. It is therefore necessary that the practical curriculum is employer-informed and that current approaches are evaluated in how successfully they develop practical skills and confidence. This study aimed to compare staff and students’ perceptions of practical skills development in laboratory sessions across Instituted of Biomedical Science (IBMS) accredited Biomedical Science courses at the University of Lincoln. It also evaluated how the delivery of practical laboratory sessions could support skills development with regard to different individuals learning styles. Views of 13 staff and 54 student participants were collected via online surveys. Perceptions were compared using statistical analysis and by theme. Student practical skills confidence was observed to increase throughout the course. Students’ confidence across all levels significantly increased compared to their perceived starting confidence (Z score =5.19, P<0.001). Staff reported students purely focused on results not laboratory techniques during practicals, whereas student responses varied with more reporting they focused on techniques (X2=62, P<0.001). Staff and students believed that direct practical assessments (DAPS) facilitate practical skills development more than indirect practical assessments (IAPS) and that student’s practical skills development would benefit from more DAPS (P=0.23-0.94). When comparing features of laboratory sessions that best develop students’ practical skills, student participants valued help from staff the most, whereas staff participants rated relevant pre-work more highly. Additionally, 83% of students agreed or strongly agreed that their practical skills would have benefited from additional opportunities to practice skills in first year. This study found disparities and similarities in staff and student perceptions of how best to support practical skills development. Reasons for these include staff perceiving the laboratory training provided by schools to be inadequate and pre-conceptions related to student learning styles.
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