Does Faculty Experience Count? A Quantitative Analysis of Evidence-Based Testing Practices in Baccalaureate Nursing...

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Faculty-developed examinations are crucial for nursing student progression.
• Limited understanding exists regarding which faculty members most frequently utilize best practices in test development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore evidence-based testing practices among nurse faculty in baccalaureate programs.
• To investigate the relationship between faculty experience levels and the implementation of these practices.

Main Methods:

• A causal comparative study design was employed with a convenience sample of 177 nurse faculty.
• Participants were categorized into five groups based on Benner's novice to expert theory, reflecting their level of teaching experience.
• One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare mean scores on a best practices in test development survey across experience groups.

Main Results:

• Expert nurse faculty achieved higher overall mean scores on evidence-based testing practices compared to other groups.
• Significantly higher scores were observed for expert faculty in comparison to advanced beginner (p = .007) and proficient (p = .020) groups.
• These results indicate a positive correlation between extensive teaching experience and the adoption of effective testing methodologies.

Conclusions:

• Nurse faculty with greater experience appear to more consistently apply evidence-based testing practices.
• Findings suggest that faculty development programs and peer-mentoring initiatives can be effectively guided by this evidence.
• Enhancing testing practices through experienced faculty mentorship can improve the overall quality of nursing education programs.