THE EFFECT OF TEACHER ADVOCATED CONCEPT ATTAINMENT UPON STUDENT SUBSEQUENT LEARNING OF COGNITIVE AND PSYCHOMOTOR NURSING SKILLS (ADVANCE ORGANIZERS, COGNITIVE NURSING SKILLS, NURSE EDUCATION).
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 247
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: This study investigated the effects of Advance Organizers on the cognitive and psychomotor performance of nursing procedures by beginning nursing students. Since some research indicates that visual Advance Organizers may offer more power for learning and retention than verbal Advance Organizers (Weisberg, 1970; Mayer, 1975), both the effects of visual and verbal Advance Organizers were investigated.

Although the results of prior research have been conflicting, Advance Organizers do seem to offer the promise of powerful help for nursing students. Those studies that have not shown that Advance Organizers facilitate learning and retention of new material did not demonstrate evidence that the students' prior learning was considered. The impact of Advance Organizers on psychomotor skills was also not considered in any of the research.

The paid volunteer sample consisted of 95 students enrolled in the fundamentals course of a baccalaureate nursing program. Learning of cognitive and psychomotor nursing skills was measured by researcher developed tools. Reliability and validity of the tools were determined and discussed.

Data analysis was accomplished by the utilization of correlations to determine if significant relationships existed. There was a significant relationship between the learning of cognitive nursing skills and the student's G.P.A. (r =.3970, p =.01). The learning of psychomotor nursing skills was significantly related to prior attendance in a nursing school (r$\sb\□rm bis □$=.4692, p =.001).

The study provided evidence that the students did learn and retain both cognitive and psychomotor nursing skills. The introduction of the Advance Organizers, however, did not have a significant impact on this learning and retention of nursing skills.

Further research is recommended that investigates individualized Advance Organizers. The individual background of the student can then be considered. Further investigation of the impact of Advance Organizers on learning of students with lower G.P.A.'s is also recommended. Advance Organizers might have a significant impact on their ability to succeed in a program of study.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-08, Section: A, page: 2860.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1993.

School code: 0227.