The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning

Background: Nursing students are expected to be effective self-directed learners beyond graduation. However, traditional assessment methods are teacher-centred, giving the teacher control over every aspect and rendering the students passive recipients during the process. Conversely, sustainable asse...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Thuliswa Mabaso, Charlene Downing, Irene J. Kearns
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-01-01
Series:International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139123000148
_version_ 1827926492502294528
author Thuliswa Mabaso
Charlene Downing
Irene J. Kearns
author_facet Thuliswa Mabaso
Charlene Downing
Irene J. Kearns
author_sort Thuliswa Mabaso
collection DOAJ
description Background: Nursing students are expected to be effective self-directed learners beyond graduation. However, traditional assessment methods are teacher-centred, giving the teacher control over every aspect and rendering the students passive recipients during the process. Conversely, sustainable assessment methods have long-term benefits to learning that go beyond graduation as it is centered on meeting current learning needs while cultivating students’ ability to meet their own future needs. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand how sustainable assessment methods influence nursing students’ SDL abilities. Design: A mixed-methods design, using a sequential explanatory strategy was used. A quantitative quasi-experimental design was the core method, followed by a supplementary exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative method. Results: The quantitative one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental method showed that first-year nursing students’ baseline SDL abilities were at a moderate level, and there was an improvement in the learners’ self-reported SDL abilities after they participated in sustainable assessment methods. The focus group interview was conducted to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences and perception of how sustainable assessment methods influenced their SDL in the qualitative follow-up phase. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that sustainable assessment methods can improve first-year nursing student’s Self-directed learning abilities. It is recommended that sustainable assessment methods should be integrated in all modules across the four-year programme. This will enable nursing students to better understand the process of assessment, thereby reducing their anxiety associated with assessment, and further motivating students to be self-directed learners.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T05:39:29Z
format Article
id doaj.art-5f7bd06c846544aea15a8ea192970960
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2214-1391
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T05:39:29Z
publishDate 2023-01-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
spelling doaj.art-5f7bd06c846544aea15a8ea1929709602023-06-14T04:33:12ZengElsevierInternational Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences2214-13912023-01-0118100539The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learningThuliswa Mabaso0Charlene Downing1Irene J. Kearns2MCur Nursing Science Graduate, Department of Nursing, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South AfricaProfessor and Supervisor, Department of Nursing, University of Johannesburg, , Johannesburg, South Africa; Corresponding author.Lecturer and Co-Supervisor, Department of Nursing, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South AfricaBackground: Nursing students are expected to be effective self-directed learners beyond graduation. However, traditional assessment methods are teacher-centred, giving the teacher control over every aspect and rendering the students passive recipients during the process. Conversely, sustainable assessment methods have long-term benefits to learning that go beyond graduation as it is centered on meeting current learning needs while cultivating students’ ability to meet their own future needs. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand how sustainable assessment methods influence nursing students’ SDL abilities. Design: A mixed-methods design, using a sequential explanatory strategy was used. A quantitative quasi-experimental design was the core method, followed by a supplementary exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative method. Results: The quantitative one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental method showed that first-year nursing students’ baseline SDL abilities were at a moderate level, and there was an improvement in the learners’ self-reported SDL abilities after they participated in sustainable assessment methods. The focus group interview was conducted to explore and describe nursing students’ experiences and perception of how sustainable assessment methods influenced their SDL in the qualitative follow-up phase. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that sustainable assessment methods can improve first-year nursing student’s Self-directed learning abilities. It is recommended that sustainable assessment methods should be integrated in all modules across the four-year programme. This will enable nursing students to better understand the process of assessment, thereby reducing their anxiety associated with assessment, and further motivating students to be self-directed learners.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139123000148
spellingShingle Thuliswa Mabaso
Charlene Downing
Irene J. Kearns
The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
title The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
title_full The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
title_fullStr The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
title_full_unstemmed The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
title_short The impact of sustainable assessment methods on first-year nursing students’ self-directed learning
title_sort impact of sustainable assessment methods on first year nursing students self directed learning
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139123000148
work_keys_str_mv AT thuliswamabaso theimpactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning
AT charlenedowning theimpactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning
AT irenejkearns theimpactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning
AT thuliswamabaso impactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning
AT charlenedowning impactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning
AT irenejkearns impactofsustainableassessmentmethodsonfirstyearnursingstudentsselfdirectedlearning