The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes

Abstract Purpose The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of an entrepreneurship and business education program using gamification on enhancing self-efficacy and the learning of entrepreneurial and business skills among pharmacy students. Method This quasi-experimental study was carried out at...

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Main Author: Fatemeh Keshmiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07052-7
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author Fatemeh Keshmiri
author_facet Fatemeh Keshmiri
author_sort Fatemeh Keshmiri
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Purpose The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of an entrepreneurship and business education program using gamification on enhancing self-efficacy and the learning of entrepreneurial and business skills among pharmacy students. Method This quasi-experimental study was carried out at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. The participants, including 5th and 6th-year pharmacy students (N = 86), were entered. The objective of the intervention was to improve entrepreneurial and business skills and develop business models in the pharmacy field. During the intervention, students collaboratively engage in a puzzle of a business plan as a project, integrating elements including risk, rewards, completion, multiplayer gameplay, and scenario-based challenges across various pharmaceutical fields. Students were tasked with completing canvas business plan components for their proposals, which were subsequently evaluated by an expert. The students’ self-efficacy was assessed using a 23-item questionnaire, and their learning was measured through a project-based examination focused on the business plan. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-tests, Pearson’s ANOVA, and regression analysis, with a significance level considered p-value < 0.05. Results The students’ learning scores were reported as 89.93 ± 5.66. The scores of students’ self-efficacy domains before (46.11 ± 2.59) and after the educational program (69.58 ± 2.04) had a significant difference. (p-value = 0.0001). The results of the regression test showed that students’ learning scores have a substantial relationship with initiating investor relationships (p = 0.005) and coping with unexpected challenges (p = 0.03). After controlling the demographic information, the domains of initiating investor relationships (p = 0.004) and developing new products and market opportunities (p = 0.038) significantly correlate with a student’s entrepreneurship score. Conclusion The educational program using the gamification method with a focus on business models significantly enhances students’ self-efficacy in pharmaceutical entrepreneurship. This improvement was observed across all domains assessed, indicating a comprehensive impact on students’ self-perception of their ability to succeed in entrepreneurship. Further study of entrepreneurship development and business education using a game-based learning method as a collaborative and active method in pharmacy education is recommended. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-941f90d388b8416d95b445b0ee518b8a2025-08-20T03:06:57ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-04-0125111010.1186/s12909-025-07052-7The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomesFatemeh Keshmiri0Medical Education Department, Education Development Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesAbstract Purpose The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of an entrepreneurship and business education program using gamification on enhancing self-efficacy and the learning of entrepreneurial and business skills among pharmacy students. Method This quasi-experimental study was carried out at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. The participants, including 5th and 6th-year pharmacy students (N = 86), were entered. The objective of the intervention was to improve entrepreneurial and business skills and develop business models in the pharmacy field. During the intervention, students collaboratively engage in a puzzle of a business plan as a project, integrating elements including risk, rewards, completion, multiplayer gameplay, and scenario-based challenges across various pharmaceutical fields. Students were tasked with completing canvas business plan components for their proposals, which were subsequently evaluated by an expert. The students’ self-efficacy was assessed using a 23-item questionnaire, and their learning was measured through a project-based examination focused on the business plan. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-tests, Pearson’s ANOVA, and regression analysis, with a significance level considered p-value < 0.05. Results The students’ learning scores were reported as 89.93 ± 5.66. The scores of students’ self-efficacy domains before (46.11 ± 2.59) and after the educational program (69.58 ± 2.04) had a significant difference. (p-value = 0.0001). The results of the regression test showed that students’ learning scores have a substantial relationship with initiating investor relationships (p = 0.005) and coping with unexpected challenges (p = 0.03). After controlling the demographic information, the domains of initiating investor relationships (p = 0.004) and developing new products and market opportunities (p = 0.038) significantly correlate with a student’s entrepreneurship score. Conclusion The educational program using the gamification method with a focus on business models significantly enhances students’ self-efficacy in pharmaceutical entrepreneurship. This improvement was observed across all domains assessed, indicating a comprehensive impact on students’ self-perception of their ability to succeed in entrepreneurship. Further study of entrepreneurship development and business education using a game-based learning method as a collaborative and active method in pharmacy education is recommended. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07052-7PharmacyGame-based learningEntrepreneurshipBusinessGamificationPharmaceutical education
spellingShingle Fatemeh Keshmiri
The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
BMC Medical Education
Pharmacy
Game-based learning
Entrepreneurship
Business
Gamification
Pharmaceutical education
title The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
title_full The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
title_fullStr The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
title_full_unstemmed The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
title_short The effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students’ self-efficacy and learning outcomes
title_sort effect of gamification in entrepreneurship and business education on pharmacy students self efficacy and learning outcomes
topic Pharmacy
Game-based learning
Entrepreneurship
Business
Gamification
Pharmaceutical education
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07052-7
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