Nursing students' motivation regulation strategies in blended learning: A qualitative study.

Kati Mäenpää,Kirsi Pyhältö,Jouni Peltonen,Hanna Järvenoja

doi:10.1111/nhs.12702

Abstract

Although there is a strong body of evidence showing that motivational factors are critical components of self-regulated professional learning and commitment to work, little is known about nursing students' motivation regulation during their studies. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of nursing students' motivation regulation (MR) strategies and factors contributing to their reported use along their 3-year study path in a blended learning environment. A purposeful sampling was used to select 12 undergraduate nursing students, who exhibited different MR profiles and had completed almost 3 years of study in a BL degree program. A qualitative, deductive, content analysis was used to depict students' experiences from their retrospective recollection in the interview situation. Seven motivation strategies were identified: environmental structuring, self-consequating, goal-oriented self-talk, efficacy management, emotion regulation, regulation of value, and interest enhancement. Individual and situational factors were found to enhance and to sustain the use of appropriate MR strategies. The students exhibited versatility in their use of MR strategies, which were related to the study phase. These findings regarding nursing students' MR strategies should be considered in the development of nursing education programs and the implementation of improvements that contribute to professional and self-regulated learning in BL programs.

Highlights

Studies have shown that nursing students and recent graduates frequently suffer from a lack of motivation and high levels of stress during their studies and work (Bartlett, Taylor, & Nelson, 2016; Flinkman & Salanterä, 2015; Riley, Collins, & Collins, 2019)
The results indicate that regardless of their Motivation regulation (MR) profiles, which were identified in accordance with the categories established in earlier studies, the nursing students frequently experienced episodes that enhanced their use of MR strategies in the blended learning (BL) setting
The findings suggest that participation in a BL program can facilitate nursing students' Self-regulated learning (SRL) and MR (Hsu & Hsieh, 2014; McCutcheon et al, 2018; Shorey et al, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

Studies have shown that nursing students and recent graduates frequently suffer from a lack of motivation and high levels of stress during their studies and work (Bartlett, Taylor, & Nelson, 2016; Flinkman & Salanterä, 2015; Riley, Collins, & Collins, 2019). Motivational factors were found to have the greatest effects on nurse retention, which has been acknowledged as a critical challenge in meeting the global healthcare needs (Buchan, Shaffer, & Catton, 2018; Efendi, Kurniati, Bushy, & Gunawan, 2019). Motivation regulation (MR) skills are necessary for addressing these challenges, developing professionalism, and completing higher education programs (Linnenbrink-Garcia et al, 2018). Self-regulated learning (SRL) and MR are essential for developing the motivational and regulatory competence to complete professional nursing programs, to participate in professional development, and to accomplish a range of demanding tasks (Sulosaari et al, 2015). Few studies have focused on nursing students' MR and the contributory factors. Exploring nursing students' SRL and MR, in this environment, has become increasingly important

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