relationships among nursing program attributes, nurse faculties' personal attributes and preferences for learner-centered instruction

The changing health care environment and student population are challenging faculty to create a learning environment supportive of adult students. This study explored relationships among nursing program attributes, nurse faculties' personal attributes and preferences for learner-centered instruction, measured by the Principles of Adult Learning Scale (PALS). Predictor variables included 19 personal and 16 program attributes. Thirty BSN/MSN programs and 30 ADN programs with a minimum enrollment of 150 students were randomly selected. A faculty member in each school completed a program data sheet and distributed 10 faculty questionnaires. The sample included 298 faculty (50%). Descriptive statistics were reported by attributes and program, and tested for statistical significance. Six multiple regression analyses were completed. Overall, faculty were teacher-centered. Associate degree faculty were more teacher-centered than baccalaureate and higher degree faculty who, in turn, split between teacher-centered and learner-centered instruction. Teaching, research, professional service, community service, and clinical practice were rated as to their importance to faculty and perceived importance to faculties' institutions. Teaching was the most important role to faculty and believed to be the most important role to their institutions. Notably, there was incongruence among other faculty ratings. Three null hypotheses were rejected at the .05 alpha criterion. Of three models using the total sample, the personal and program attributes model accounted for 30% of variance in overall mean PALS scores, with significant contributions from self-study of adult learning principles, type of student taught, and rank. Dividing the total sample by program, the BSN/MSN personal and program attributes model accounted for 30% of variance in overall mean PALS scores. Recommendations include self-administration of PALS and analysis of responses for staff development programs; use of the model as part of program evaluation; and development of mission effectiveness programs to examine congruence of personal and organizational philosophies. Suggestions for further research include testing of the PALS' factors, population invariance, and subscale reliability; development of an associate degree program model; study of classroom and clinical dimensions of teaching style; and study of the effectiveness of adaptation strategies to learner-centered instruction.