Exploration of Learning Method, Environmental Support, and Innovation in Science Learning Among Nursing Students in Taiwan

Monday, July 11, 2011: 3:45 PM

Hsiu-Min Tsai, PhD, RN
Nursing, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Kwei-Shan, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
Ching-Yu Cheng, PhD
School of Nursing, Chang Gung Institute of Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan
Hsiu-Hung Wang, RN, PhD, FAAN
College of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to understand a feasible and effective Internet method in science learning study among nursing students in Taiwan.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to understand the relationships between demographics, learning method, environment, and innovation scale in science learning among nursing students in Taiwan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between demographics, learning method, environment, and innovation scale in science learning among nursing students in Taiwan.

Methods:   A cross-sectional Internet survey design was used. A Chinese-version of the FINE Science website was set up to recruit college nursing students. Nonprobability sampling was used. 251 first-year nursing students participated in the study. Most participants were Taiwanese (56.2%), lived with parents (63.7%), and had family monthly income less than $50,000 NT dollars (about 1,643 US dollars). Most of their father (66.9%) and mother (75.3%) had an educational level equal or lower than senior high school. Four validated Chinese instruments including the (a) Approach of Learning Science questionnaire, (b) the Learning Environment questionnaire, (c) the Innovational Personality Factors questionnaire, and (d) Demographic Inventory were used. Cronbach’s alpha of the learning method, environment, and creativity scale was 0.79, 0.96, and 0.96. Descriptive statistics, t test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation were used to analyze data. Students in different program did not differ in any demographic factors or measured variables.

Results: The participants had a mean score of 79.50 (SD=9.29), 202.02 (SD=25.12), and 148.61 (SD=22.36) on the learning method, learning environment, and innovation. Learning method, environment, and innovation did not differ by any demographic factors and were significantly intercorrelated (r=.30-.59). In the five-year program, non-Taiwanese students perceived better environmental supports than Taiwanese students. Those who did not live with both parents had a higher score on the innovational scale. In contrast, students in the four-year program whose family type were nuclear perceived better environmental supports.

Conclusion: Strategies to have more positive learning methods and better environmental supports may help improve nursing students’ science learning.