Students' Approach to learning over time.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Understanding student learning approaches is crucial for effective pedagogy in higher education.
• The transition through an undergraduate program may influence students' learning strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively measure changes in undergraduate nursing students' approaches to learning.
• To determine if learning approaches evolve from program entry to exit.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study involving one undergraduate nursing cohort at a Midwestern university.
• Administration of the Approaches to Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST) at program entry (ASSIST-1) and final semester (ASSIST-2).

Main Results:

• The predominant learning approach identified was strategic learning, followed by deep and surface learning.
• No statistically significant changes in students' learning approaches were detected over the two-year period.

Conclusions:

• Undergraduate nursing students maintain consistent learning approaches throughout their program.
• Educational strategies should be developed to promote deeper learning and leverage strategic approaches in nursing curricula.