Lim Raymond Boon Tar, Tan Claire Gek Ling, Voo Kelly, Lee Yock Leng, Teng Cecilia Woon Chien
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 10;12:1516525. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1516525. eCollection 2024.
Interdisciplinary learning is essential for equipping future health professionals to tackle the complexities of contemporary public health. This mixed-methods study investigates the experiences and perspectives of undergraduate public health students in Singapore on interdisciplinary learning in higher education and employed a convergent parallel design by combining a cross-sectional survey with in-depth interviews. Quantitative data were used to assess the relationship between students' exposure to interdisciplinary learning and its perceived value, while qualitative analysis explored key themes related to facilitators and barriers. Among 52 survey respondents and 11 interview participants, nearly half regularly engaged in interdisciplinary learning. Students with greater exposure to interdisciplinary experiences demonstrated more positive perceptions. Facilitators identified included career development opportunities, faculty engagement, and diverse learning experiences. Barriers such as disciplinary disconnects and the challenge of managing varied skill sets were also highlighted. This study provides valuable insights into interdisciplinary learning in higher education pertaining to public health, particularly within the context of health professions training. The findings suggest that enhancing curricular design, integrating interdisciplinary approaches more effectively, and increasing faculty support can address identified barriers and better prepare students for the demands of their future public health careers.
跨学科学习对于培养未来的卫生专业人员应对当代公共卫生的复杂性至关重要。这项混合方法研究调查了新加坡本科公共卫生专业学生在高等教育中跨学科学习的经历和观点，并采用了一种收敛平行设计，将横断面调查与深入访谈相结合。定量数据用于评估学生接触跨学科学习与其感知价值之间的关系，而定性分析则探索了与促进因素和障碍相关的关键主题。在52名调查受访者和11名访谈参与者中，近一半的人经常参与跨学科学习。有更多跨学科经历的学生表现出更积极的看法。确定的促进因素包括职业发展机会、教师参与和多样化的学习经历。还强调了诸如学科脱节和管理多种技能组合的挑战等障碍。这项研究为高等教育中与公共卫生相关的跨学科学习提供了宝贵的见解，特别是在卫生专业培训的背景下。研究结果表明，加强课程设计、更有效地整合跨学科方法以及增加教师支持可以解决已确定的障碍，并更好地使学生为未来公共卫生职业的需求做好准备。
