Nursing educators' collaboration and professional development: a cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Teacher cooperation can be described as the collaboration of teachers in the form of exchange, synchronisation, and co-construction. The aim of this study was to determine if attitudes towards teacher collaboration, teacher self-efficacy, and perceptions of a safe team climate were related to teacher collaboration activities, as well as if these collaboration activities fostered professional development. An explorative study using an online questionnaire was conducted. A total of 202 (n=202) nursing educators participated. Scales measuring teacher collaboration, professional development, teacher self-efficacy, and safe team climate were used. Data analysis included explorative and confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and structural equation modelling. The results showed a positive relation between teacher self-efficacy, perceptions of a safe team climate, and attitudes towards teacher collaboration with collaboration activities. The results underline the importance of offering collaborative settings and opportunities for educators to reflect on their experiences during teacher training.