COMMUNITY-ORIENTED NURSING CURRICULUM AND PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING: IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING EDUCATION IN THAILAND.
Contributors: University Of Hawaii.
Published: 1994
Number of pages: 235
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Public Health.
Description: The role of nurses in Thailand is undergoing significant change because of the reorientation of health systems towards the World Health Organization's "Goal of Health for All by the Year 2000" through primary health care.

The broad purpose of this study is to secure data which can be used to facilitate the process of encouraging faculty members to assume greater responsibility for needed curriculum and teaching method changes related to preparation for community-oriented nursing curriculum.

Specifically examined are selected factors influencing the readiness of faculty members to make the changes suggested by the WHO: the need for more content in community-oriented nursing curriculum, actual knowledge of problem-based learning (PBL), attitudes and beliefs about the curriculum and PBL.

A total of 1090 faculty members from five Faculties of Nursing of Ministry of University Affairs and twenty three Nursing Colleges of Ministry of Public Health were surveyed by mail during September and October 1993. Seven hundred and two faculty members (64.4%) responded. The data were analyzed by using SPSS-PC program.

Faculty members who had Master's degrees in Thailand or a graduate degree from foreign country, perceived knowledge of the curriculum, had teaching experience in the curriculum, and had teaching practice of content related to the curriculum needed less additional knowledge about the curriculum content. Faculty members who taught the certificate program, however, needed more knowledge about the curriculum content. Faculty members who preferred active learning and perceived knowledge of PBL had positive attitudes and beliefs about a community-oriented nursing curriculum.

Faculty members with Master's degrees in Thailand and perceived knowledge of and teaching experience in PBL seemed to have more knowledge of PBL than their colleagues. Faculty members who had Master's degrees in Thailand, preferred active learning, preferred active teaching, and perceived knowledge of PBL had more positive attitudes and beliefs about PBL.

These findings indicate a need to develop training opportunities to prepare faculty for implementation of a nation-wide nursing curriculum using problem-based learning approach. Future research needs to examine students and field supervisors' knowledge of and attitudes and beliefs about community-oriented nursing curriculum and PBL.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-06, Section: A, page: 1460.

Thesis (DR.P.H.)--UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII, 1994.

School code: 0085.