THE EFFECT OF AN INITIAL NURSING COURSE ON COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING STUDENTS' COGNITIVE STAGE LEVELS.
Contributors: University of Massachusetts (System)
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 147
Subjects: Education, Health.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study was designed to explore the effect of an initial nursing course on community college nursing students' cognitive stage levels, and to identify the relationships of the variables age, sex, high school rank, scholastic aptitude test scores and previous college credits to students' cognitive state levels. The long range purpose of the study was to provide the impetus for matching students at Piaget's cognitive stage levels with materials, activities and teaching strategies which may facilitate the learning of content requiring formal operations. Such an approach may enhance learning, and indirectly reduce attrition of students in associate degree nursing programs. The two parallel forms of the Test of Logical Thinking were administered to sixty students enrolled in an initial nursing course prior to and at the conclusion of the course, in order to identify their cognitive stage levels.

The results of the study suggest that the initial nursing course did have an effect on cognitive levels as evidenced by a significant difference between pre and post test scores, with post test scores significantly higher. The results also show that there is a significant relationship between cognitive stage level and course grade. Cognitive stage levels were found to have a positive relationship to high school rank and scholastic aptitude test scores. The findings of the study suggest that the ability to perform Piagetian formal operations was independent of age. Differences in cognitive stage levels between the sexes were found to be significant favoring the men. There was a wide distribution of students with previous college credits among the three cognitive stages suggesting that there was little significance between the two.

Recommendations for further study include assessment of the effect of an initial nursing course on cognitive stage levels using experimental and control groups, determining the relationship of variables such as learning and teaching styles on cognitive stage levels, and longitudinal studies to assess the relationship between cognitive stage levels and attrition of students in nursing programs.

The results of this study are consistent with findings in the existing literature that cognitive stage levels are a significant variable in the mastery and transfer of learning. The results also support findings in the literature that less than fifty percent of college students are able to consistently use formal reasoning modes.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, Section: A, page: 0311.

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

School code: 0118.