TECHNOLOGY FACILITATED PBL PEDAGOGY AND ITS IMPACT ON NURSING STUDENT’S ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING DISPOSITIONS

ABSTRACT

The impact of particular learning environments and self-regulation could be a beneficial area for research focus. More specifically, there has not been sufficient attention given to the role played by disposition or “will” in facilitating self-regulation to be successful. A student can possess the skills or ability to think critically but lack the will or motivation to use those skills. This quasi-experimental study investigated traditional lecture instruction, PBL, and blended problem-based learning (B-PBL) on students’ academic achievement and critical thinking dispositions. The results were compared. The findings revealed that the use of a blended problem based learning strategies had a positive impact on student achievement. However, no significance was found among the groups in critical thinking dispositions for categorical variables at both the pretest and posttest, indicating the need for long-term exposure to B-PBL environments before results could reveal significant changes in attitude towards the usage of critical thinking skills. Recommendations included conducting a longitudinal study and a qualitative study, and further studies be conducted within different disciplines and with different class levels regarding different combinations of using ICT and PBL.