HAWTHORNE UN-CAPPED: THE RELATIONSHIP OF ADULT LEARNING STYLES TO THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF NURSING STUDENTS (ADULT LEARNERS, HAWTHORNE EFFECT).
Contributors: State University of New York at Buffalo.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 126
Subjects: Education, Administration.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.
Description: Community College nurse educators face the challenge of preparing the nation's largest number of students for practice in an increasingly complex, intense and competitive health care setting. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of adult learning styles to academic achievement in the educational environment of a community college nursing program without the influence of the Hawthorne effect or increased achievement due to teacher interaction.

The study sample of 424 nursing students (62% of 690) enrolled in a northeastern United States community college is reflective of the national nursing student population in that it is predominantly adult. A five-year ex post facto study was completed which analyzed learning style preferences (independent variable) obtained through the Productivity Environmental Preference Survey (PEPS) and final first semester nursing theory and clinical course grades (dependent variable). The study sample included those students who voluntarily completed the PEPS learning style instrument and successfully completed the first semester nursing theory and clinical courses.

The learning style preferences of authority and structure in a nursing theory course and tactile learning in a nursing lab course were specifically investigated since they are characteristically high in nursing classrooms and appear to be in conflict with adult learning theory. There was a directional expectation that students who have high learning style preferences would have higher course grades in a congruent classroom setting.

Consistent with past research, diverse learning styles were reported with the majority of nursing students indicating a high preference for authority (70%), structure (81%) and tactile learning (64%). Results of a one-tailed t test showed that only for the learning style preference of structure was there a statistically significant difference in nursing course grades between students who indicated a low preference and those who indicated a high preference.

Comparison of the results of this study to other research indicates that teacher involvement (Hawthorne effect) may positively affect the student's knowledge and application of learning styles, increase academic achievement and empower the adult learner. Recommendations for nurse educators are presented which include the need for specific objectives, evaluation components and multidimensional learning methodologies to address diverse student learning style preferences.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-09, Section: A, page: 3771.

Thesis (ED.D.)--STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO, 1996.

School code: 0656.