Table 3.
Median and mean scores and percentage competency in transferable and research skills by total students surveyed
| Total surveyed | Total % competency | Gender | Nationality | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (N = 317) Med () | Lower competence (%) | Higher competence (%) | Males (N = 133) Med () | Females (N = 184) Med () | US/Canada (N = 48) Med () | Europe (N = 196) Med () | Asian and other (N = 73) Med () | |
| Transferable skill | ||||||||
| 1. Communication–writing | 8.0 (7.3) | 14.8 | 85.2 | 8.0 (7.4) | 7.0 (7.1) | 8.0 (7.8) | 8.0 (7.4) | 6.0 (6.3) |
| 2. Communication–oral | 7.0 (7.3) | 12.9 | 87.1 | 8.0 (7.4) | 7.0 (7.1) | 8.0 (7.5) | 8.0 (7.6) | 6.0 (6.2) |
| 3. Information gathering | 7.0 (6.6) | 24.7 | 75.3 | 7.0 (6.6) | 7.0 (6.5) | 8.0 (7.3) | 7.0 (6.4) | 7.0 (6.6) |
| 4. Information evaluation | 7.0 (6.6) | 23.1 | 76.9 | 7.0 (7.0) | 7.0 (6.4) | 7.0 (7.1) | 7.0 (6.7) | 6.0 (6.4) |
| 5. Numeracy | 8.0 (7.3) | 17.4 | 82.6 | 8.0 (7.6) | 7.0 (7.0) | 7.0 (7.4) | 8.0 (7.4) | 7.0 (6.8) |
| 6. Teamwork | 8.0 (7.8) | 8.2 | 91.8 | 8.0 (7.8) | 8.0 (7.8) | 8.0 (8.0) | 8.0 (8.0) | 7.0 (7.1) |
| 7. Work independently | 8.0 (8.0) | 5.4 | 94.6 | 8.0 (8.1) | 8.0 (7.9) | 9.0 (8.4) | 8.0 (8.1) | 7.0 (7.3) |
| 8. Project management | 7.0 (6.8) | 23.3 | 76.7 | 7.0 (7.0) | 7.0 (6.5) | 8.0 (7.4) | 7.0 (6.7) | 6.0 (6.3) |
| 9. Time management | 7.0 (6.6) | 25.6 | 74.4 | 7.0 (6.6) | 7.0 (6.7) | 7.5 (8.1) | 7.0 (6.6) | 7.0 (6.5) |
| 10. Problem solving | 8.0 (7.4) | 8.2 | 91.8 | 8.0 (7.8) | 7.0 (7.2) | 8.0 (8.0) | 8.0 (7.6) | 7.0 (6.6) |
| Research skill | ||||||||
| 1. Designing a study | 5.0 (4.8) | 61.1 | 38.9 | 5.0 (5.1) | 5.0 (4.6) | 6.0 (5.5) | 5.0 (4.7) | 5.0 (4.8) |
| 2. Study sampling | 5.0 (4.7) | 62.3 | 37.7 | 5.0 (4.9) | 5.0 (4.5) | 5.0 (4.9) | 5.0 (4.5) | 5.0 (4.9) |
| 3. Participant recruitment | 5.0 (5.2) | 54.6 | 45.4 | 5.0 (5.2) | 5.0 (5.2) | 5.0 (4.8) | 5.0 (5.4) | 5.0 (5.0) |
| 4. Biological statistics | 5.0 (4.9) | 58.2 | 41.85 | 5.0 (5.2) | 5.0 (4.7) | 6.0 (5.4) | 5.0 (4.7) | 5.0 (5.0) |
| 5. Paper preparation | 5.0 (5.3) | 52.2 | 47.8 | 6.0 (5.5) | 5.0 (5.1) | 7.0 (6.2) | 5.0 (5.2) | 5.0 (5.0) |
| 6. Paper presenting | 6.0 (5.8) | 38.9 | 61.1 | 6.0 (6.1) | 6.0 (5.5) | 7.0 (6.8) | 6.0 (5.7) | 6.0 (5.3) |
Note: Median (Med), mean () scores by student gender and nationality. All scores were rated on a 10-point scale from low competence to high competence.