Nursing students' perceptions on motivation strategies to enhance academic achievement through blended learning: A qualitative study

Feasibility of motivational interviewing on emotional authenticity, academic motivation and dispositional optimism among Saudi Nursing Students: A randomized controlled trial

AIM

Determine the effect of motivational interviewing on emotional authenticity, academic motivation and dispositional optimism among Saudi nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Nursing students in Saudi Arabia face various challenges that can impact their emotional authenticity, optimism and academic motivation. As the nursing field grows in Saudi Arabia, maintaining a sustainable nursing workforce and defining the scope of practice present challenges. Therefore, investigating feasible interventions to promote the well-being and success of Saudi nursing students is crucial.

DESIGN

A randomized controlled trial research design was followed. Each study participant was randomly assigned 1:1 to either the intervention group or the control group.

METHOD

The study involved 70 nursing students, who were randomly divided into an intervention group (n = 35) and a control group (waiting list) (n = 35). Pre-tests and post-tests were administered to evaluate the impact of motivational interviewing program implemented between April 2024 and mid-August 2024.

RESULTS

Following the intervention, the study group demonstrated substantial enhancements in Authenticity Inventory scores, Academic Motivation Scale scores and dispositional optimism, with p-values consistently below 0.001 and large effect sizes ranging from 0.650 to 0.937. Comparing to the control group, the study group showed marked increases in positive optimism and decreases in negative optimism, alongside a reduction in amotivation.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that the motivational interviewing intervention led to significant improvements in various aspects of emotional authenticity, including self-awareness, unbiased emotional processing and authentic behaviors and relational orientations. Additionally, the study group exhibited substantial increases in intrinsic and extrinsic academic motivation and a reduction in amotivation.

The relationship between health-related quality of life and academic success in nursing students: the mediating role of academic burnout and academic motivation

BACKGROUND

The identification of the key factors that affect academic success in nursing students, including health-related quality of life, academic burnout, and academic motivation, has been of the utmost importance to date. In this context, the present study sought to examine the relationship between health-related quality of life and academic success, with academic burnout and academic motivation mediating that relationship.

METHODS

This analytical cross-sectional study included 262 eligible nursing students selected through convenience sampling from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. To evaluate health-related quality of life, academic burnout, and academic motivation, the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, the Academic Motivation Scale, and Breso's Academic Burnout Scale were administered, respectively. The study achieved a 95% response rate. Academic success was assessed using the nursing program grade point average. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Statistics (version 26) and Mplus (version 6.12) software, with a significance level set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The findings of the study indicated that although health-related quality of life did not directly affect academic success, it could potentially enhance academic success through the mediation of intrinsic motivation (B = 0.005, 95% CI = -0.01 to 0.005, p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, health-related quality of life can increase academic success through the mediation of academic burnout and intrinsic motivation (B = 0.013, 95% CI = 0.005 to 0.02, p ≤ 0.01). This indicates that academic burnout and intrinsic motivation significantly mediate the path from the health-related quality of life to academic success.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings indicate that nursing education planners and instructors should develop and implement appropriate measures to enhance academic success in nursing students. These measures should also promote their health-related quality of life, academic motivation, and reduce academic burnout.

Developmental trajectories of professional preparedness among senior nursing students during clinical placement: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Newly graduated nurses' lack of professional competence is associated with inadequate preparation during their clinical placement as nursing students. Clinical placement is a critical stage in the development of nursing students' professional preparedness. However, research on the trajectory of nursing students' professional preparedness during clinical placement has not yielded findings with the same specificity.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to estimate differences in professional preparedness levels at different clinical placement stages, to identify distinct patterns of professional preparedness trajectories during clinical placement, and to evaluate predictors of these trajectory group memberships.

DESIGN

A quantitative longitudinal study.

SETTINGS

Participants were recruited on a voluntary basis using convenience sampling at a tertiary hospital in Nanning, China.

PARTICIPANTS

224 senior nursing students were initially invited to participate in the study. A total of 178 nursing students successfully completed the follow-up assessments at baseline, as well as at 1 month, 4 months, and 8 months into their clinical placement.

METHODS

Participants completed four online surveys, during which their professional preparedness level was measured using the Perceived Professional Preparedness questionnaire for senior nursing students. Professional preparedness scores at different time points were compared using one-way repeated measures ANOVA and latent growth model. Group-based trajectory model was applied to identify professional preparedness trajectories. Multiple logistic regression was adopted to determine the predictors of trajectory group memberships.

RESULTS

The entire sample of Senior nursing students experienced a significant increase in professional preparedness during clinical placement. The best-fitting group-based trajectory model delineated three distinct trajectories: low-slowly increase trajectory (27.53 % of sample), moderate-rapidly increase trajectory (47.19 % of sample) and a high-stably increase trajectory (25.28 % of sample). Male, good and excellent academic performance, and very high degree of professional interest are the predictors of the moderate-rapidly increase trajectory. While male, good and excellent academic performance, high and very high degree of professional interest and participating in medical-related part-time employment are the predictors of the high-stable increase trajectory.

CONCLUSIONS

Senior nursing students exhibit different levels of professional preparedness throughout their clinical placement. Simultaneously, three different trajectories were identified among the sample of nursing students. Therefore, in future research, greater attention should be directed towards the professional preparedness levels of nursing students with different trajectories, and early identification and targeted interventions should be prioritized.

Cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the motivation for nursing student scale (MNSS)

BACKGROUND

Motivation is a critical factor in the success of nursing students, as it significantly influences their ability to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for the nursing profession. Insufficient motivation can result in a lack of engagement with learning activities, thereby impeding the development of essential competencies.

AIM

This study aimed to translate the Motivation for Nursing Student Scale (MNSS) into Persian and evaluate its psychometric properties within the context of nursing students in Iran.

METHOD

This methodological cross-sectional study involved a sample of 542 nursing students selected through convenience sampling. The MNSS was translated into Persian following the guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and assessments of internal consistency were conducted to evaluate the validity and reliability of the instrument.

RESULTS

The EFA and CFA validated the structure of the instrument, identifying four factors and 20 items, which explained 58.68% of the total variance. The CFA results indicated a well-fitting model with the following indices: CFI = 0.91, GFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.946, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.061, and SRMR = 0.049. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for the scale were 0.882 and 0.802, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The Persian version of the MNSS demonstrates satisfactory reliability and validity, making it a dependable instrument for measuring the academic motivation of nursing students. This tool can be effectively used to assess the motivation of nursing students in Iran.

Investigating the motivating factors that influence the adoption of blended learning for teachers' professional development

Blended learning (BL), a teaching method merging online and face-to-face learning, is lauded for its potential to enrich educational outcomes and tackle challenges entrenched in conventional teaching practices. In countries like Pakistan, where equitable access to quality professional development remains an obstacle, BL is a promising avenue to surmount training barriers. While BL adoption has evolved swiftly, research into its integration within teacher training remains limited. Notably, no comprehensive model exists describing the motivational factors influencing teachers' perceptions and intentions regarding the blended mode of teacher training. This study aims to identify the motivational elements that motivate schoolteachers in teacher training institutions in Pakistan to incorporate blended learning into their programs. The motivational factors identified in BL literature have been employed to craft a motivation model grounded in their causal relationship. This quantitative study examines the interplay between multiple motivational factors and their impact on BL adoption within teacher training and the BL environment. Surveying 350 schoolteachers (participants) from teacher training institutions, we employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques with Smart PLS 4.0 for data analysis. Results reveal that extrinsic and intrinsic motivational factors significantly influence teachers' motivation to adopt BL for training. Notably, "overall training quality" and "educational environment" were non-influential. Overall, the findings underscore that considering a blend of extrinsic and intrinsic factors can wield a 65 % influence on BL adoption. The study's results provide practical guidance for educational leaders, curriculum designers, and faculty members aiming to cultivate a unified blended learning environment for teacher professional development. These insights also underscore the importance of incorporating essential motivational factors into forthcoming blended learning training programs.

Blended learning: Assessing nursing students' perspectives

BACKGROUND

 Blended learning combines face-to-face and online learning and has recently gained popularity, accelerated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, often without active evaluation.

OBJECTIVES

 This study aimed to assess university nursing students' perceptions of a blended learning approach during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

 The population was 150 third-year nursing students from a university in the Western Cape, South Africa, using all-inclusive sampling. A one-group, pre-and post-evaluation study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire (Student Perceptions of Blended Learning scale). Differences were assessed using Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests with a significance level of p  0.05.

RESULTS

 Before implementing blended learning, 128 students (85.3%) completed the questionnaire, while 95 (63.3%) did so after. Demographics and access showed no significant differences between the groups. Post-implementation showed a 10.1% increase in preference for blended learning (χ2 = 2.832, p = 0.092). Ease of use was rated significantly higher before implementation (3.07 ± 0.49), with no significant change post-implementation (2.99 ± 0.58). The blended learning process received lower ratings compared to content, with no significant differences before or after implementation for either (process: 2.55 ± 0.58 vs 2.54 ± 0.63; content: 2.75 ± 0.52 vs 2.79 ± 0.52).

CONCLUSION

 Nursing students had a positive perception of blended learning, though the online learning component posed challenges with time and module comprehension.Contribution: The findings can help higher education institutions evaluate existing online management systems and guide nurse educators in meeting students' needs when developing module resources.

Nursing students' perception of digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate programs: A qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Although past research has highlighted the importance of digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate nursing programs, facilitators and barriers to application still need to be systematically understood.

AIM

The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize existing literature reporting on nursing students' experiences with digital technology in clinical education among undergraduate programs to identify gaps and design future educational programs.

METHODS

We conducted a qualitative systematic review and reported the following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science databases were searched for studies published in English. Qualitative studies focusing on nursing students' experiences of digital technology in clinical education were included, and data were synthesized by extracting findings, developing categories, and developing synthesized findings.

RESULTS

Six synthesized findings were concluded:1) nature of digital education, 2) facilitators, 3) barriers, 4) benefits to learning, 5) mixed experience, and 6) challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

The systematic review revealed that the utilization of digital technology in clinical practice is beneficial to the learning of undergraduate nursing students. Facilitators and challenges of digital education, as well as barriers to digital education identified in this review can be used to design more effective digital education activities. Digital technology can be used to supplement traditional teaching, and it is worthwhile to explore more in the area of digital education to promote the cultivation of nursing students' competency.

The Effect of Video-Based Simulation Training on Nursing Students' Motivation and Academic Achievement: A Mixed Study

This study was conducted to determine the effect of video-based simulation education on nursing students' motivation and academic achievement. The research was designed in a mixed model. A quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest control group was used for the quantitative part, and the descriptive phenomenology approach was used as the qualitative research method. The sample of the study consisted of second-year nursing students in two state universities in eastern Turkey. The data were collected with the Student Information Form, the Academic Achievement Test, and the Motivation Resources and Problems Scale using Google Forms Web application. Qualitative data were collected through online semistructured interview forms and focus group interviews. According to the results, the posttest academic achievement and Motivation Resources and Problems Scale mean scores of the students in the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group ( P < .05). In the analysis of the qualitative, three main themes emerged: We felt fortunate that it increased information retention," "We felt like we were in real practice environment," and "It made us feel that we were nurses." The results showed the use of video-based simulation can be suggested as a strategy to promote classroom teaching and engage students.

Do nursing students' attitudes to clinical practice training affect the levels of vocational motivation?

BACKGROUND

It is extremely important for nursing students to be professionally motivated to train qualified future professional nurses. Students' vocational motivation is affected by their experiences in clinical and academic learning environments.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the vocational motivation levels of nursing students and their attitudes toward clinical practice.

METHODS

292 nursing students participated in the cross-sectional, descriptive study. The Student Information Form, Nursing Students' Attitudes Towards Clinical Practices Scale, Motivation Sources and Problems Scale (MSPS) were used to gather the data.

RESULTS

The average score for students' attitudes toward clinical practice was 107.08±18.13, while the total score for MSPS stood at 3.80±0.63. A positive correlation was identified between the attitude toward clinical practice and vocational motivation levels (r = 0.367; p < 0.001). There were positive correlations between the intrinsic motivation (r = 0.572; p < 0.001) and extrinsic motivation (r = 0.58; p < 0.001), and negative correlations were observed between the negative motivation (r = -0.324; p < 0.001) and the attitude toward clinical practice scale. There were positive correlations between belief and expectation (r = 0.492; p < 0.001) and positive approach (r = 0.532; p < 0.001) with the MSPS. In the multiple regression analysis, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, satisfaction with studying nursing, and participation in vocational courses were determined as effective predictors of attitudes towards clinical practice and explained 60.4% of the variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that nursing students' attitudes toward clinical practices affect vocational motivation. Clinical learning environments should be arranged in a way to increase the motivation level of students towards professional learning.

Mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms among nursing students participating in blended learning

Background

Blended learning, which comprises a combination of online and classroom-based activities, in nursing education can cause significant academic stress and depression symptoms among students. However, self-esteem may mediate the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms. Studies of the relationship between academic self-efficacy, self-esteem, and depression symptoms among nursing students participating in blended learning are limited.

Objectives

To examine the determinants of depression symptoms and the mediating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms among nursing students who participate in blended learning.

Design

Cross-sectional study using convenience sampling.

Settings

Ten universities across five provinces and two major Indonesian islands.

Participants

A total of 534 undergraduate nursing students with a mean age of 20.30 years (standard deviation, ±1.36 years).

Methods

An online survey was conducted between April and August 2022 to collect data from 10 universities applying blended learning. The study instruments included the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Data were analysed by hierarchical linear regression using PROCESS macro version 4.1.

Results

Of the 534 participants, 213 (39.14 %) experienced moderate-to-severe depression symptoms. Two variables, online learning difficulties (β = 0.10; p = .012) and self-esteem (β = -0.40; p < .001), were significant determinants of depression symptoms. Self-esteem mediated the relationship between academic self-efficacy and depression symptoms.

Conclusions

It is necessary to understand the online learning difficulties experienced by blended learning students and improve their self-esteem by maximising academic self-efficacy to prevent depression symptoms.

A concept analysis on the transfer climate in health sciences education

The transfer of learning is complex, with factors such as transfer climate influencing students' transfer of learning. This transfer climate will shape a student's experiences during work-integrated learning and can be modified to enhance the transfer of learning. However, studies on transfer climate are mainly reported from a human resource development context and the outcomes may not be transferable to health sciences education. Furthermore, there is no uniformity in defining and measuring transfer climate. Rodgers' evolutionary concept analysis approach was used to describe the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of a positive transfer climate. An information specialist assisted in developing a Boolean search string and searched 15 databases to identify relevant sources. In total, 156 relevant articles were selected from 1448 sources. Data were charted and thematically analyzed. Antecedents comprise interpersonal relationships and theory-practice correlation. The presence of student support, training programs, student characteristics, clinical facilitator characteristics and a well-resourced clinical environment are the attributes of a positive transfer climate and act as learning transfer mediators. Transfer climate consequently influences student, educational, and organizational performance. A conceptual definition for transfer climate was then proposed. It was subsequently concluded that developing competent healthcare professionals and providing support to students depend on the synergy and good working relationship between health services and educational institutions. The insights into modifiable elements to enhance transfer climate could benefit health sciences educators in reconsidering their clinical training models to ensure sufficient support during students' clinical placements to meet the demands for a better-qualified healthcare workforce.

The differences in learning motivation of college freshmen in Northwest China

The study aimed to investigate the learning motivation of freshmen from a university in Northwest China, which can supply a reference for improving their learning quality and objectives. Data were collected from 800 freshmen of different majors with a learning motivation questionnaire. Differences in learning motivation between different majors, genders, regions, and students are studied. The results show that gender, seeking knowledge orientation, and material pursuit have significant effects on students' learning motivation. The gender had a significant impact on personal achievement and the only child or not had an obvious effect on material pursuit, while other factors had no obvious difference in gender, regional, and only child or not, while other factors on the gender, regional, and whether the one-child had no obvious difference. According to the results of the research, measures to improve learning motivation are proposed. Our research results provide a reference for improving learning attitude and the quality of universities.

Activity theory as a framework for teaching mathematics: An experimental study

This article introduces activity theory and how it can be employed to instruct the topic of straight-line equations in a plane - Geometry 10. Using the activity theory approach, we studied and developed a teaching process. The procedure is divided into three stages: Phase 1: Motivation and goal orientation, in which teachers present situations to attract students to the lesson; Phase 2: Knowledge formation, in which students engage in a variety of learning activities to build the knowledge they need to learn; Phase 3: Practice and consolidation, in which many exercises are assigned to students to solve in order to consolidate their knowledge and assist teachers in detecting and correcting students' misconceptions. To examine the effectiveness of applying the proposed three-phase model, we used a two-group pretest-posttest experimental model to determine whether or not teaching with the activity theory approach is more effective than the traditional teaching method by testing four research hypotheses. The experimental teaching took place in the Mo Cay district of Ben Tre province, Vietnam. Both the experimental and control classes began with the same level of mathematics, which was then tested using inferential statistics. After completing the pedagogical experiment, we discovered that students in the experimental class who were taught using activity theory achieved better learning outcomes than students in the control class, who were taught using the traditional teaching method; in the experimental class, the number of weak students decreased in comparison to the original; however, the number of good students did not increase. This is an issue that requires further studies to find ways to influence a wide range of students with different levels of mathematics so that the effectiveness of teaching according to the activity theory approach is improved.