Psychological Factors Associated with Learning in Bioscience Courses Among Undergraduate Nursing Students

Area of Science:

• Biosciences Education
• Nursing Education
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Bioscience courses are crucial for nursing students but often perceived as challenging.
• Understanding factors influencing bioscience learning is vital for improving nursing education.
• This study investigates psychological factors impacting bioscience learning in undergraduate nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore associations between achievement goal orientations, perceived stress, and self-esteem in nursing students.
• To identify factors associated with successful bioscience learning in nursing education.
• To examine how psychological variables interact with demographic and academic traits in bioscience learning.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative cross-sectional study involving first-year nursing students.
• Utilized Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS14), Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R), and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).
• Employed univariate and multiple regression analyses (SPSS v26.0) with significance at p < 0.05.

Main Results:

• Perceived stress negatively correlated with self-esteem across bioscience courses (p < 0.001).
• Course category, gender, and type of secondary education significantly influenced perceived stress, achievement goals, and self-esteem.
• Specific achievement goal orientations (mastery-approach, mastery-avoidance, performance-avoidance) showed significant associations with academic and demographic factors.

Conclusions:

• Psychological factors, including achievement goals, stress, and self-esteem, dynamically influence bioscience learning in nursing students.
• Demographic and academic traits moderate the relationship between psychological factors and bioscience learning outcomes.
• Interventions addressing psychological well-being may enhance bioscience education for nursing students.