Exploring Nursing Students' Motivation to Prepare for Class

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Qualitative Research
• Student Motivation

Background:

• Classroom preparation significantly enhances the learning experience.
• Limited research exists on student-driven motivations for class preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and identify the primary motivators for accelerated second-degree undergraduate nursing students to prepare for class.
• To understand the student perspective on factors influencing pre-class engagement.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative phenomenology approach.
• Data collection through records review (n=130), focus groups, and interviews.
• Thematic analysis of collected data.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: knowing what to study, deep learning, accountability, engaging with the textbook, and content engagement.
• These themes provide insight into the intrinsic and extrinsic factors driving student preparation.
• The findings validate existing interventions and suggest new avenues for encouraging preparation.

Conclusions:

• Student preparation for class is influenced by a complex interplay of factors.
• Understanding these motivators allows for the development of targeted educational strategies.
• Interventions focused on accountability, deep learning, and content engagement can foster better student preparedness.