Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
13:44
Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Exploring the relationships between teaching, approaches to learning and critical thinking in a problem-based
Julie Martyn1, Ruth Terwijn2, Megan Y C A Kek3
1Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland Fraser Coast Campus, 161 Old Maryborough Road, Hervey Bay, Queensland 4655, Australia.
Nurse Education Today
|May 28, 2013
Summary
Problem-based learning (PBL) in undergraduate nursing education enhances students' critical thinking readiness by influencing their learning approaches. This teaching method is key for developing essential nursing skills and knowledge.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Pedagogy
- Higher Education
Background:
- Undergraduate nursing programs must align with current healthcare demands.
- Problem-based learning (PBL) utilizes real-world scenarios for collaborative problem-solving.
- PBL was implemented in a foundational nursing course at a regional Australian university.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore relationships between student characteristics, learning environments, PBL teaching, learning approaches, and critical thinking readiness.
- To examine the influence of nursing students' ecological environments on their learning and critical thinking.
- To assess the impact of PBL on undergraduate nursing students' skill development.
Main Methods:
- Ecological perspective guided the study design.
- Hierarchical linear modelling was used for data analysis.
- Investigated individual characteristics, learning environment perceptions, and PBL teaching.
Main Results:
- PBL teaching approaches significantly influenced students' learning strategies.
- Student learning approaches, in turn, impacted their critical thinking skill readiness.
- The study identified key relationships within the nursing students' learning ecosystem.
Conclusions:
- PBL is an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing critical thinking in nursing students.
- Curriculum design in undergraduate nursing should consider PBL to foster essential skills.
- Further research can explore optimizing PBL for diverse nursing student populations.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Critical Thinking II
Critical thinking is a cognitive process with several attributes. The attributes of critical thinking include the following:
01:24Critical Thinking I
Critical thinking helps decision-making and allows nurses to recognize barriers to success and find solutions to possible issues. It helps to brainstorm and implement ideas to achieve goals. Critical thinking helps acknowledge and state workflow inefficiencies while improving management techniques. Nurses understand the value of critical thinking and look for fellow nurses with critical thinking skills to upgrade their professional standards. Critical thinking can advance a nurse's career with...
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching I: Assessment and Diagnosis
The nursing process provides a clinical decision-making framework for patients and families to establish and implement a personalized care plan. Since part of the nurse's duties is to teach patients, the steps of the nursing process are the most effective way to approach instruction. The nursing process and the teaching-learning process are inextricably linked.
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...
It is critical to determine the patient's learning needs during the assessment. Determination of learning needs compounds data from the...
01:13Patient-centered Care
Patient-centered care involves delivering care beyond inpatient hospitalization. Reflective practice can enhance a patient-centered approach. Reflective practice is a process of reasoning that considers all aspects of the present situation, including practicalities, learning from personal practice, and consideration of patient needs. Patients appreciate care decisions made while considering their input. Involving the patient in their care provides the patient with a sense of contribution rather...
01:27Fundamentals of Nursing Process I
The nursing process is the core of practice for every registered nurse to deliver holistic, patient-focused care. The following are the five steps in the nursing process.
01:24Nursing Process for Patient and Caregiver Teaching II: Planning and Implementation
Planning for learning involves the development of a teaching plan. Teaching plans are similar to nursing care plans—both follow the steps of the nursing process. Planning in the teaching process involves setting goals and outcomes. Here, goals identify what a patient needs to achieve to understand a healthcare topic better, whereas the outcomes are the action to be performed by the patient to achieve the goal within a timeframe. For example, if the goal is to educate the patient about insulin...