Three approaches to use of questioning by clinical lecturers: a pilot study

In the current health care climate nurses require very good problem solving and critical thinking skills. Questioning as a teaching strategy is viewed as one way to promote such student learning. Using a comparative descriptive quantitative and a qualitative approach, this pilot study investigated the types of questions asked of students by lecturers working within the preceptorship model in the clinical setting. A convenience sample of five volunteer nursing lecturers were tape recorded during their interactions with undergraduate students (n = 8). Initially two auditing approaches were used to analyse the interview data: relevant parts of Mogan and Warbinek's (1994) Observation of Nursing Teachers in Clinical Settings instrument (ONTICS Tool) and Craig and Page's (1981) conceptual framework as adapted by Sellappah, Hussey, Blackmore and McMurray (1998). The data were further analysed by qualitative content analysis. This study supported the findings of the ONTICS tool and Sellappah et al's framework that teachers asked predominantly directive style and low level questions. What the two approaches did not adequately capture was the complexity of the lecturers' questioning behaviours or the effects of contextual factors. The content analysis process however, identified three broad categories forming a model that effectively integrated aspects of the context of the lecturer/student interaction. It also represented lecturer questioning behaviours more comprehensively. The preliminary model offered has the potential to highlight the importance of lecturers asking questions that lead students to extend their thinking about practice. It could also contribute to student learning by assisting lecturers to understand the value and critical nature of their questioning and serve as a framework for staff development.