Hemşirelik Lisans Öğrencilerinin Epistemolojik İnançlarını Etkileyen Faktörler: Tanımlayıcı Kesitsel Çalışma

Abstract

Objective: This research aims to determine the epistemological beliefs of nursing undergraduate students and examine the affecting factors. Material and Methods: This study uses a descriptive cross-sectional design. The study sample consisted of 621 students receiving education in the 2018-2019 academic year. The 'personal information form', consisting of 10 questions developed by the researchers based on the literature, and the 'Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire' were used to collect the research data. The data were analyzed through the 'SPSS 20.0' using descriptive statistics of the characteristics and epistemological beliefs of the participants. Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection analysis was used to determine the affecting factors. Results: In the epistemological belief sub-dimensions, the belief that learning depends on effort was 63.47±16.17, the belief that it depends on ability was 22.00±8.49, and the belief in the existence of a single truth was 28.28±8.01. It has been determined that students' epistemological beliefs are affected by gender, where they live, and academic success (p<0.05). Conclusion: The epistemological beliefs can severely impact nursing students' academic behavior; therefore, the epistemological beliefs of students from different socioeconomic backgrounds should be challenged and improved. The findings from this study can contribute to developing strategies for invisible belief barriers that lead students to fail in increasing the quality of care by using accurate and reliable information.