Nursing applications numbers are increasing rapidly however the number of faculty available to educate students has not seen the same rapid growth. The increased age of nursing faculty indicates there will be a surge in retirement of nurse educators in the next 5-10 years. The retirement of these educators could negatively affect the success of nursing programs. However, as the NLN (2005) urged educators to reflective on the effectiveness of their practices, it is also necessary for graduate nursing programs to evaluate their programs and their ability to produce a nurse educator with at least some qualities inherent of effective teaching. Entering the nurse educator workforce with knowledge of content, personality traits, and classroom management skills helpful to effective teaching is important to success of nursing programs and as new faculty nurse numbers increase soon.
Literature related to nursing education and effective teaching was not as robust concerning effective teaching in the didactic setting. Literature is available more widely regarding to effective teaching in the clinical setting (hospital, outpatient health, community health). While the qualities/behaviors necessary for effective teaching in the clinical setting are most likely similar, the context of practical experience and student-teacher ratio adds a layer of complexity quite different than the didactic setting. National organizations such as the NLN and AACN provide standards from which nursing programs should frame their education while providing best-practices for educating nursing students. However, even the NLN sought help from nurse educators to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching with the urge to use strategies such a collaboration, mutual trust, respect, equality, and accepted differences (NLN, 2005). To date, there has been no research using the Teacher Behavior Checklist regarding effective teaching in nursing education. The few studies available show findings with similarities such as: student-centered, knowledge of content, continued learning to stay current, variety of pedagogical practices, certain personal qualities, and continual feedback (Gardner, 2014; Hicks & Butkus, 2011; Pratt et al., 2007; Schaefer & Zygmont, 2003; Stein, et al., 2011). Pedagogical practices used by nursing educators are commonly adapted from research of other disciplines indicating a need for further research to create and disseminate practices specific to nursing education. Personal qualities of nurse educators identified of effective teaching pertain to integrity, professionalism, humor, enthusiasm, motivation, trust, care and appreciation (Gardner 2014; Hicks & Butkus, 2011; Pratt et al., 2007; Crookes et al., 2013; Stein et al., 2011).
This study aimed to determine baccalaureate nursing student and nursing faculty views of effective teaching. Using the Teacher Behavior Checklist, a psychometrically sound tool, participants were sent an email containing a link to an online survey (Keeley, Smith, & Buskist, 2006). Baccalaureate nursing students (n=353) and nursing faculty (n=26) were sent the email with a response rate of 25.2% (n=89) and 69.2% (n=18) respectively. Participants were asked to rank order the top 10 qualities and associated behaviors they perceived as effective to nursing education.
Results of the study found students and faculty agreed on five of the top 10 behaviors identified: (a) knowledgeable about subject matter, (b) approachable/personable, (c) enthusiastic about teaching and about topic, (d) effective communicator, and (e) realistic expectations of students/fair testing and grading. Students and faculty agreed on four of the top 5 qualities/behaviors excluding realistic expectations of students/fair testing and grading. Faculty completed their top 10 identifying: (a) creative and interesting, (b) promotes critical thinking/intellectually stimulating, (c) presents current information, (d) confident, and (e) respectful. Students completed their top 10 identifying: (a) understanding, (b) happy/positive attitude/humorous (c) encourages and cares for students, (d) flexible/open-minded, and (e) strives to be a better teacher. Statistical differences were found in four qualities/behaviors ranked in the top 10: (1) creative and interesting; (2) present current information; (3) promote critical thinking/intellectually stimulating; and (4) understanding.
The findings in this study show strong agreement with previous studies completed using the TBC. In comparison to findings in the original study using the TBC, students agreed on nine of the top 10 qualities/behaviors identified of effective teaching. Faculty agreed on eight of the top 10 qualities/behaviors identified of effective teaching compared to original findings. The results of this study indicate generalizability of TBC use across disciplines and its ability to identify effective qualities/behaviors inherent of master teachers. Further research is needed across several institutions with baccalaureate nursing programs as well as comparison of baccalaureate programs views of effective teaching to that of associate degree nursing programs.