THE COMPARISON OF TWO INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS FOR MASTERY OF EIGHT SELECTED COMMUNICATION CONSTRUCTS IN A COURSE FOR REGISTERED NURSES.
Contributors: Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Published: 1985
Number of pages: 83
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.
Description: The recent trend in registered nurse (RN) education has been to individualize instruction. In large part, this is a result of the acceptance by RN educators of Malcolm Knowles' views on adult learning. However, few empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effects of individualized instructional methods with other instructional methods for RN students as adult learners.

This study compared the effects of a lecture/discussion method of instruction and an individualized method of instruction for RN students as adult learners in a nursing course on communication in a nursing baccalaureate completion program. The hypothesis for this study was: RN students taught by an individualized instructional method will master more of eight selected communication constructs than RN students taught by a lecture/discussion instructional method.

One instrument measuring student perceptions about the instructional methods used and a test measuring the mastery of eight selected communication constructs were submitted to two randomized sections of RN students enrolled in a nursing communication course in a nursing baccalaureate completion program. Reliability and logical validity were established for the instrument measuring student perceptions. Reliability, content and construct validity were established for the instrument measuring mastery of the eight selected communication constructs. Students reported that instructional methods used were those described as lecture/discussion or individualized. These perceptions were tested at the middle and end of the course. In both cases statistically significant differences in perceptions were found.

A Chi-Square analysis was to be applied to determine the relationship between mastery of the constructs and the instructional methods used. However, since all students in both groups mastered all of the constructs, an anticipated Chi-Square analysis was not done and the hypothesis was not supported. As a result, the findings of this study suggest that students may be able to master criterion-referenced test constructs regardless of whether the instruction is lecture/discussion or individualized.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-04, Section: A, page: 0881.

Thesis (ED.D.)--SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT EDWARDSVILLE, 1985.

School code: 0509.