Lessons learned from an investigation exploring association between grit and student performance in a pharmacy skills laboratory course

Abstract Background A challenge for many pharmacy educators is early identification of students who may struggle with various aspects of the pharmacy curriculum. While grade point average, demographic factors, and personality traits may be helpful considerations, we felt there was a need to further explore methods for readily identifying at-risk students who may benefit from early intervention. The Grit Scale has recently been explored, presented, and published in academic pharmacy. The goal of this study was to determine if there was an association between students’ grit scores and performance on a laboratory practical examination. However, it became apparent that there were substantial limitations leading to difficulties analyzing and interpreting our study data and results. Impact The interpretation of data was confounded due to study design limitations, including use of the Grit-O scale (rather than Grit-S), low response rate, and lack of validation evidence for laboratory practical assessments. Recommendations Thoughtful consideration during the design of the study may have produced better data for analysis. Psychometric considerations are paramount, both for the instrument (Grit-O) and the dependent/outcome variable (laboratory practical assessment). Discussion While this study did not yield meaningful results for interpretation, it highlighted important lessons for investigators at the college to use moving forward. We hope that the lessons learned from this investigation might support the academy in improving design and rigor of educational research.