Enhancing Teaching Skills Through Short Courses: A Quantitative Review of Public Health Education in Sudan

This evaluation draws evidence on the effectiveness and outcome of learning and teaching courses that were offered to a number of teaching staff of the Academies of Health Sciences, Midwifery Schools and Centres for Continuous Professional Development in Sudan. It is based on a cross-sectional study consisting of self-administered questionnaires conducted from October 2017 to January 2018. The questionnaires were used to measure the extent to which the participants of the training courses acquired knowledge and skills and applied these skills in their jobs. Data was analysed using Excel sheets and SPSS version 21 and significant tests performed. The response rate for the self-administered questionnaire was 80%. Most of participants were females, early middle-aged, bachelor’s degree holders with more than 9 years of experience in the area of teaching health care professionals. The results are presented following the Kirkpatrick framework for evaluation of training, which was used to measure participants' reactions, learning and change of behaviour. Most of the participants were satisfied with the design and content of the course but expressed concerns regarding its duration and lack of residential facilities for course participants. Pre and post tests were used to measure learning. Comparison of the two results showed that participants gained knowledge in writing learning outcomes, although presentation skills showed no improvement following the training and the use of technology remained a challenge even after the course. In terms of application of the newly gained knowledge and skills, the findings illustrated that over 90% of the participants were satisfied with what they had learned after 3 months or more following the training course, and over 65% of the participants stated that the knowledge gained from the training remained useful. In conclusion, short courses on teaching and learning can be a valuable investment to both instructors and students. The evaluation has shown that course participants were satisfied with the training courses, gained new knowledge, and were able to apply the acquired knowledge and skills without any difficulties. It is therefore suggested to cascade these training courses to all remaining States in Sudan in order to improve the skills and capabilities of teaching staff.