Understanding preparedness : the influence of teaching and learning experience on bioscience integration by nursing lecturers : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2014
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Massey University
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Abstract
This thesis explores how teaching and learning experiences influence nursing
lecturers’ preparedness to integrate biosciences in their teaching practice. The
biological sciences have been a problematic component of nursing education and
practice for many years and bioscience knowledge levels amongst many nursing
lecturers are reported to be poor. This research encompasses a detailed exploration of
the teaching and learning experiences of ten New Zealand nursing lecturers to
identify experiences that influence their preparedness with bioscience integration.
The phenomenon of preparedness was explored from the perspective of
transcendental phenomenological philosophy and the key theoretical construct of
intentionality. Study participants’ subjective, conscious experiences were explored
through in-depth interview and phenomenological analytical procedures to identify
the universal experience and essences of how experiences came to be. Preparedness
as a phenomenon is influenced by participants experiencing contrast, reflection and
responsibility in learning, nursing, and teaching practice. These cognitive and
affective processes occur as a result of the complex relationship between
experiences, personal values and beliefs about ‘good’ nursing and teaching practice,
and are found to be more influential than experience alone. This is an important
discovery for nursing education as mere exposure to examples of bioscience in
nursing may not affect students’ or lecturers’ perceptions of bioscience value.
The way that bioscience knowledge is valued within personal perceptions of
good nursing underpins lecturers’ preparedness, and shapes the way that learning,
teaching and practice experiences are evaluated. The research demonstrates the
importance of reflective learning and meaning perspectives in bioscience education,
and the preparedness of nursing lecturers to practice integrated teaching. However,
despite a willingness to integrate bioscience when teaching nurses, lecturers question
their confidence with traditional academic perceptions of bioscience knowledge. The
findings question contemporary pedagogies in bioscience education and
epistemological perspectives of bioscience theory in the context of nursing as a
practice-based profession. Recommendations are made to facilitate reflective
learning, and lecturers’ preparedness with integrated teaching, through progressive
spiral curricula that value clinical bioscience knowledge and the contribution of
nursing lecturers’ clinical expertise.
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Keywords
Nursing lecturers, Nursing study, Bioscience teaching, Nursing education, Teaching preparedness, Bioscience knowledge, Integrated teaching, Bioscience education