EFFECTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF STUDENT LEARNING STYLE AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION ON PHARMACOLOGY MATHEMATICS PROFICIENCY AND MATHEMATICS ANXIETY IN BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS.
Contributors: Northern Illinois University.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 228
Subjects: Education, Curriculum and Instruction.
Description: The impact of microcomputers on nursing education is only beginning to be studied systematically. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between student learning style and computer-assisted instruction on pharmacology mathematics proficiency and on post-treatment mathematics anxiety scores.

Sixty upper-division, baccalaureate nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The Learning Style Inventory (LSI) to determine learning style scores, the Basic Mathematics Skills Test to measure basic mathematics skills scores, and the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) to determine pretest mathematics anxiety scores were all administered prior to the first class session. The treatment was a drug and dosage computer-assisted instruction (CAI) package used during the intervention period. The non-equivalent control group design allowed for testing and treatment conditions for intact classroom groups. Statistical analysis was completed using analysis of covariance to determine proficiency and post-treatment anxiety measures for each group and analysis of variance to determine variance among the learning style groups for mode of instruction. A Pearson (r) was calculated, which validated the strength of the relationship between the covariates BASIC and posttest proficiency scores and pretest MARS and posttest MARS scores.

The findings revealed no significant differences in the proficiency of baccalaureate nursing students taught pharmacology mathematics by modified mastery as compared to those taught by computer-assisted instruction and modified mastery. Further, it was found that there were no significant differences between the two groups in post-treatment mathematics anxiety taught pharmacology mathematics by these same modes of instruction. The interaction of learning style, mode of instruction and proficiency in pharmacology mathematics and post-treatment mathematics anxiety also did not produce any significant differences between treatment groups.

Findings from this research support the notion that assessment of student characteristics can provide the student and the teacher with information regarding the learning process that can facilitate a move toward student autonomy.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-10, Section: A, page: 2914.

Thesis (ED.D.)--NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, 1988.

School code: 0162.