Comparison of Pre-Licensure BSN Student Outcomes Between Team-Based and Traditional Learning Methods

Background: The increased complexity of healthcare systems requires nurses to have a different skillset, largely not provided in today’s nursing curricula. Team-based learning is one possible teaching strategy believed to increase nurses’ critical thinking and teamwork self-efficacy. Currently, there is insufficient objective data available that demonstrates improved academic performance and perceptions of teamwork skills in pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of team-based learning and traditional lecture-format teaching strategies among pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing students in a Foundations of Nursing Practice course. Theoretical Framework: Vygotsky’s social constructivism and Tuckman’s group development model provided the framework for this study. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 79 nursing students. Data from a demographic questionnaire, two unit exams, a modified Healthcare Team Questionnaire, and the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument were analyzed. Hypotheses were tested using an independent group t-test, a paired t-test and the Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in academic performance, teamwork self-efficacy, and teamwork skills between the two groups. Student participants who experienced team-based learning had higher perceived accountability, satisfaction, and an overall learning experience (p \u3c .05) when compared with those who experienced traditional lecture-format teaching. Conclusions: The study contributes further objective information to what is currently known about the effects of team-based learning in pre-licensure student nurses. The results inform nurse educators that team-based learning may heighten students’ learning experiences in terms of accountability and satisfaction, while not jeopardizing their academic performance or perceptions about working in teams