SURVEY OF THE THINKING PREFERENCES AND HEMISPHERIC LEARNING STRATEGIES (METHODS) OF FRESHMEN AND SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING STUDENTS AND THE THINKING PREFERENCES OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE NURSING FACULTY.
Contributors: University of Massachusetts (System)
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 417
Subjects: Education, Community College.
Description: Within the context of an Associate Degree Nursing Program, the author attempted to assess the Thinking Preferences (Brain Dominance Characteristics) of Student Nurses and Nursing Faculty, and to discern whether Nursing students used either Left- or Right-oriented Hemispheric Learning Strategies (Methods) to successfully complete their Nursing courses. Nursing students and Faculty were administered the Herrmann Participant Survey Instrument, while students also completed a Hemispheric Learning Strategies (Methods) Questionnaire, devised by the researcher.

Multiple Analysis of Variance tests revealed that there were no significant differences between overall Left or Right, Cerebral or Limbic Thinking Preference (Quadrant) scores for students or faculty. For Male students overall, 43 percent had Left-, and 75 percent had Right-oriented Thinking Preferences, and for Female students overall, 45 percent had Left-, and 55 percent had Right-oriented Thinking Preferences. Fifty-percent of Nursing Faculty had Left- and 50 percent had Right-oriented Thinking Preferences.

Analysis of Variance tests revealed that there were no significant differences between student groups for the use of Left- or Right-oriented Learning Strategies (Methods), with a moderately-strong Left-, and slightly-moderate Right-oriented Learning Strategy emphasis by students in their Nursing courses. Fifty-five percent of all students had Thinking Preference orientations that were incongruent to their Learning Strategy orientations. Chi-Square analysis revealed that there were significant differences between Freshmen and Senior Females (X2 = 4.306, df = 1, p $<$.05), and between Senior Males and Females (X2 = 5.588, df = 1, p $<$.05), in their Thinking Preference-Learning Strategy usage.

An awareness of the students' Thinking Preferences could help Nursing Faculty nurture the growth and accessibility of the 'weaker', less used and preferred modes of thinking by students. This may add greatly to the development of their critical and creative thinking and problem-solving skills and to their potential for learning and success.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-03, Section: A, page: 0413.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, 1987.

School code: 0118.