DOI: 10.5061/dryad.6m905qgb8
title: Evaluating generic skills through the PROG test in Japanese pharmacy education: A pilot study

description: The Progress Report On Generic Skills (PROG) test has been used to assess
 generic skills in a variety of educational programs in Japan. It
 categorizes generic skills as either literacy or competency. Literacy
 involves applying previously acquired knowledge, while competency includes
 proper interaction with the environment. We aimed to examine student
 progression using the PROG test through a pharmacy program from the first
 year through the fifth year. Undergraduate student pharmacists
 undertook the PROG test three times: in their first year (July 2019),
 before their on-site clinical internship in the fifth year (May 2023), and
 after the five-month clinical internship (December 2023). The scores of
 the three tests were compared to assess the outcomes of the on-campus
 didactic education and those of the clinical internship. During
 the on-campus didactic education from the first year to the fifth year,
 both literacy and competency scores decreased (5.0 to 4.7, p = 0.468, r =
 0.257; 2.4 to 1.9, p = 0.042, r = 0.693, respectively). During the
 clinical internship, on the other hand, literacy improved (4.9 to 5.7; p =
 0.009, r = 0.679) while the competency reduced (2.0 to 1.9; p = 0.773, r =
 not calculated). The PROG test scores may reflect changes in students’
 generic skills through their education program, suggesting that it holds
 potential for evaluating educational outcomes and providing educators with
 feedback to improve the efficacy of their educational programs.
description: # Evaluating generic skills through the PROG test in Japanese pharmacy
 education: A pilot study
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6m905qgb8](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6m905qgb8) ## Description of the data and file structure Author(s) Hiroshi Ohara, Ph.D. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ohu University Email: [h-ohara@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp(opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) Keita Odanaka, Ph.D. Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shonan University of Medical Sciences Email: [keita.odanaka@sums.ac.jp(](mailto:keita.odanaka@sums.ac.jp)[opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) Toshinori Ito, MA School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ohu University Email: [t-ito@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp(opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) Shigeki Kisara, Ph.D. Clinical Pharmacy Practice Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Email: [kisara.shigeki@tohoku-mpu.ac.jp](mailto:kisara.shigeki@tohoku-mpu.ac.jp)[(opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) Kitae Ito, Ph.D. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ohu University Email: [k-ito@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp(opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) Naoto Nakagawa, Pharm.D., Ph.D. School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ohu University Email: [nicknaoto76@gmail.com(opens in new window)](mailto:n-nakagawa@pha.ohu-u.ac.jp) ### Files and variables #### File: Literacy_data.xlsx **Details for: Literacy data** **The file is a raw data table.** **Format(s): excel** **Dimensions:19 rows x 15 columns** **Variables:** Student, Pre PPE, Post PPE, 7 levels from 1 to 7 Collecting information_Pre, Collecting information_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Analyzing information_Pre, Analyzing information_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Identifying problems_Pre, Identifying problems_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Forming strategies_Pre, Forming strategies_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Linguistic Processing Skills_Pre, Linguistic Processing Skills_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Nonlinguistic Processing Skills_Pre, Nonlinguistic Processing Skills_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 #### File: Competency_data.xlsx **File descriptions** **Details for: Competency data** **The file is a raw data table.** **Format(s): excel** **Dimensions:19 rows x 93 columns** **Variables:** Student, Pre PPE, Post PPE, 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Teamwork skills_Pre" "Teamwork skills_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Personal skills_Pre" "Personal skills_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Problem solving skills_Pre" "Problem solving skills_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Relating with others_Pre" "Relating with others_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Cooperating with others_Pre" "Cooperating with others_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Team management_Pre" "Team management_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 Self control_Pre, Self control_Post, 7 levels from 1 to 7 Self confidence_Pre, Self confidence_Post, 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Behavior control_Pre" "Behavior control_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Problem identification_Pre" "Problem identification_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Planning solutions_Pre" "Planning solutions_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 "Implementing solutions_Pre" "Implementing solutions_Post", 7 levels from 1 to 7 Approachability_Pre, Approachability_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Attentiveness_Pre, Attentiveness_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Interpersonal interest/Empathy/Receptiveness_Pre, Interpersonal interest/Empathy/Receptiveness_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Diversity understanding \_Pre, Diversity understanding \_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Building up a network of connections_Pre, Building up a network of connections_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Trust building_Pre, Trust building_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Role understanding / cooperative action_Pre, Role understanding / cooperative action_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Information sharing_Pre, Information sharing_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Mutual support_Pre, Mutual support_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Consultation / guidance / motivating others_Pre, Consultation / guidance / motivating others_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Talk to each other_Pre, Talk to each other_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Express opinions_Pre, Express opinions_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Constructive/Creative discussion_Pre, Constructive/Creative discussion_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Opinion coordination, negotiation, persuasion_Pre, Opinion coordination, negotiation, persuasion_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Self-awareness_Pre, Self-awareness_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Stress coping_Pre, Stress coping_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Stress management_Pre, Stress management_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Understanding of identity_Pre, Understanding of identity_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Self-efficacy / optimism_Pre, Self-efficacy / optimism_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Personal Transformation by learning view/opportunities_Pre, Personal Transformation by learning view/opportunities_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Subjective action_Pre, Subjective action_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Outworking_Pre, Outworking_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Getting into the habit of positive actions_Pre, Getting into the habit of positive actions_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Information collection_Pre, Information collection_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Understanding of the essence_Pre, Understanding of the essence_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Cause investigation_Pre, Cause investigation_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Goal setting_Pre, Goal setting_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Scenario modeling_Pre, Scenario modeling_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Plan assessment_Pre, Plan assessment_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Risk analysis_Pre, Risk analysis_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Practical action_Pre, Practical action_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Correction / adjustment_Pre, Correction / adjustment_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5 Verification / improvement_Pre, Verification / improvement_Post, 5 levels from 1 to 5