Award Date

12-2011

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing

Department

Nursing

First Committee Member

Lori Candela, Chair

Second Committee Member

Cheryl Bowles

Third Committee Member

Michele Clark

Graduate Faculty Representative

Sheniz Moonie

Number of Pages

141

Abstract

Nursing education is facing a crisis. Anachronistic teaching methods are no longer keeping up with the needs of new graduates entering practice. Despite a body of knowledge which supports the use of active learning in higher education, nursing faculty continue to rely on lecture as their primary pedagogical approach. Previous study of the use of research products in clinical nursing practice identified systematic factors such as characteristics of the communication of research findings and characteristics of the organization form the greatest barrier to use. This study discovers if these same barriers face nursing educators.

Using Roger‟s Theory of Diffusion of Innovation as a framework, a large national survey of accredited pre-licensure nursing programs was conducted. Results demonstrate that three-quarters of nursing faculty utilize lecture for at least half of an average teaching session. Findings also indicate that nursing faculty experience similar barriers to the use of research as do nurses in clinical practice with lack of time and a diffuse and difficult to access knowledge base forming the greatest barriers. Of the components analyzed, approach to teaching is the most predictive of use of active learning. Suggestions for future research are discussed.

Keywords

Active learning; Barriers to use; Diffusion of innovation; Education; Health and environmental sciences; Nursing – Study and teaching (Higher)

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Higher Education and Teaching | Nursing | Teacher Education and Professional Development

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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