Needs Analysis of Medical English Instruction in Moroccan Nursing Education: A Case Study of ISPITS Tetouan.

Abstract

This study investigates the needs and perceptions of students regarding the English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course within the Master’s program of Management and Quality of Healthcare services (MQSS, which in French stands for: Management et Qualité des Services de Soins) at the level of the Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques (ISPITS) of Tetouan, Morocco; this exploratory needs analysis study seeks to identify participants’ linguistic needs, learning priorities, as well as the barriers to acquiring Medical English fluency in both multilingual and academic contexts. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire administered to the 20 students in the first semester of the 2023-2025 cohort. The findings underscore a strong degree of recognition of English as mandatory for professional development, especially for accessing medical literature and engaging in international healthcare communication. Yet, the results also show some constraints, such as a lack of opportunities for English practice, insufficient numbers of hours of English courses, and predominance of French in the master’s curriculum. The study also shows how the participants prioritize developing their reading skills for specialized medical texts, while expressing the need for a more practice-oriented learning and enhanced institutional resources. These findings illustrate the need to align the ESP course design with the students’ needs in Moroccan higher nursing institutes. Overall, this investigation adds to ongoing discussions about curriculum development in Moroccan higher education by pointing out context-specific insights into medical English teaching in nursing schools; it calls for specific institutional and pedagogical reforms to achieve effective English learning outcomes.