As nursing education shifts from a teacher-centered classroom to learner-centered classroom there is a need to understand what helps or hinders faculty members to be innovative and change their teaching methods. Faculty development is needed to help faculty as they make this shift. Empowerment of faculty to explore evidence-based strategies is imperative to the teaching/learning process. Empowerment drives innovation and engagement in the creative process. Faculty engagement promotes student engagement. Innovation provides opportunity to create a textured, active, learning environment. Clinical nursing is dynamic. Preparing students in a dynamic, textured learning environment will help develop critical thinking and clinical judgment skills that will aid in NCLEX success and transition to nursing practice. This purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy, autonomy, innovation, empowerment, and faculty development.
Methods:
Nursing faculty were recruited by word of mouth, social media, and email (n=80). The scales used in the study were: 1) Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE), 2) Teaching Autonomy Scale (TAS), 3) Measure of Individual Innovative Behavior (MIIB), and 4) Psychological Empowerment in the Workplace (PEW). Specific demographics were also used to identify relationships and differences. Correlation and Multivariate Analysis of Variances were used to identify statistically significant differences.
Results:
Results showed no correlation between TAS and other variables. TSE was significantly correlated with MIIB and PEW. MIIB and PEW were also positively correlated. Attendance to faculty development opportunities indicate there were a statistically significant difference with MIIB and those who attended 5-6 faculty development opportunities a year reporting higher MIIB means.
Groups were created for each variable using z-scores to create a higher and lower group for each. Teacher Self-Efficacy results indicate that the higher TSE group also had higher innovative behaviors and empowerment means. To identify what the differences might be, MANOVA s were used to identify which question on the PEW and MIIB had significant difference between the higher and lower TSE groups. There were statistically significant differences in those faculty with higher teacher self-efficacy reporting higher means on the PEW questions that work was very important to them, they were confident in their performance and self-assured, and felt they had mastered the skills needed. The higher teacher self-efficacy group had statistically significant differences and reported higher means on the MIIB questions having opportunities to improve and generate new ideas to address problems. Faculty with higher innovative behaviors had statistically significant differences in psychological empowerment except in the areas of autonomy and independence and freedom to make changes on the PEW questions.
Conclusion:
In nursing education faculty need to feel like they will be successful, have opportunities to improve and to generate new ideas. Nursing administration need to provide support and faculty development to encourage faculty members to be innovation and creative in their teaching.