To Determine Differences in Students' Generational (Age) Differences and Their Preferences for Teaching Methodologies

Tina M. Martin, RN, MSN, CFNP¹, Anne A. Norwood, RN, MSN, CS-FNP², Jean T. Walker, RN, PhD¹, Lisa Haynie, RN, MSN, CS-FNP³, Jill S. White, RN, MSN¹, and Rowena W. Elliott, RN, PhD, CNN, BC, CLNC⁴. (1) School of Nursing/Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA, (2) University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing, Jackson, MS, USA, (3) department of women's and children's health, University of Mississippi School of Nursing, Jackson, MS, USA, (4) School of Nursing, University of Mississippi School of Nursing, Jackson, MS, USA

Objective: To determine differences in students generational (age) differences and their preferences for teaching methodologies.

Design: A descriptive survey design was utilized to compare the generational differences among students to their perceived preferences in teaching methodologies.

Population, Sample, Setting, and Years: The population of interest was junior and senior nursing students enrolled in an undergraduate 4-year program. The setting was in a southern state in America during the Fall semester of 2003.

Concepts or Variables Studied Together or Intervention and Outcome Variables: The concepts of age, in relationship to the generation X or Y, were studies in terms of student’s preferences for various teaching methodologies such as case study, lecture, handouts, worksheets, Internet activities, group work in class, and group work outside of class, self-study, tests, games, hands-on activities.

Methods: This exploratory study was conducted with a survey design that was piloted among graduate educators and where inter-rater reliability was obtained. The 30-item, likert scale questionnaire was administered to 82 juniors nursing students and 52 senior nursing students.

Findings: Results indicated that the majority of participants preferred different teaching methodologies in addition to traditional didactic lecture. Significance was demonstrated in group work (p= .001), lecture (p=.001), new material (p= .024), reading independently (p= .020), and web-based learning (p= .001). Findings also concluded that trust was a significant influence associated with senior students when compared to the junior students (p= .003).

Conclusions: Data demonstrate insight into student perceptions of learning styles and relationships between critical-thinking and generational differences. There was a significant difference between the perceived effectiveness of various teaching modalities between the junior and senior nursing students.

Implications: This study enhances the understanding of relationships between generational differences and critical thinking teaching methodologies that may influence how an educator plans to transfer knowledge to the students.