Traditional Versus Nontraditional Methods of Teaching: the Impact on Nursing Teaching Effectiveness and Student’s Achievements at Nursing Colleges

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of traditional (lecture) versus nontraditional methods of teaching (role-play, and case study) on the students' achievement and teaching effectiveness in Nursing Colleges at Jordanian Universities. Method: An experimental research design was utilized to compare the effect of Traditional (lecture) versus Non- traditional (role-play and case study) teaching methods on student’s achievements and teaching effectiveness. Data was collected from Princess Muna College of Nursing in Jordan. A total of (72) second -year baccalaureate female nursing students were included in this study. This sample was randomly assigned into three groups, namely; group one taught by lecture, group two taught by role-play, and group three taught by case study. The three groups were exposed to an infection control and disease prevention program. Data was collected using the Reeve Questionnaire (1994) to assess teaching effectiveness and instructor- made test to measure student’s achievements. Results: The present study showed the presence of significant differences in the student’s achievements attributed to the type of teaching strategy utilized (F=6.01; p≤0.05). Moreover, there were significant differences (F=14.93; p≤0.05) in teaching effectiveness related to teaching strategy used. Conclusion: Based on the study findings, improving nursing student’s achievements as well as teaching effectiveness require nursing educators to shift from teaching methods that promote passive learning to those that encourage active learning and engage students in the educational process. As for effective teaching, students must read, write, and discuss the material they are learning. They must also participate in high order thinking exercises, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.