Team-based learning: Application in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing education

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of Team-based Learning (TBL) in an undergraduate nursing course with regard to the outcomes of academic performance (Health Education Systems Incorporated [HESI^®] Management exam) and self-reported measures of critical thinking, leadership and management skills, overall course ratings, accountability to learning, preference for lecture or TBL, and learner satisfaction with TBL.

Methods: In a quantitative, quasi-experimental post-test study, 221 undergraduate senior nursing students participated in the TBL course or a traditional instructor-led control course.  In both courses, academic performance was measured by the HESI^® Management scores; critical thinking, leadership and management skills, and overall course experience were measured using an online survey. In the TBL course, accountability to learning, preference for lecture or TBL, and learner satisfaction was measured with the Team-Based Learning Student Assessment Instrument.

Results: When compared to lecture, TBL learners scored significantly higher on the HESI^® Management exam and reported significantly higher critical thinking, leadership and management skills and better overall course experience ratings (p ≤ .01). TBL learners reported moderate to high levels of accountability, higher preference for TBL than lecture, and satisfaction with TBL. Total scores indicated moderate to high levels of favorable experiences with TBL.

Conclusions: Results indicate TBL is an acceptable and efficacious instructional strategy in undergraduate nursing students. To control for extraneous factors and limit confounding, future research should evaluate the impact of TBL via a randomized control trial.