Changes in 21st‐Century Skills Perceptions and Lifelong Learning Trends Following a Nursing Management Course: A Quasi‐Experimental Study
Nilgün Katrancı, Tuğba Öztürk YıldırımBackground
Nursing management courses contribute to the development of multidimensional 21st‐century skills perceptions, such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication, helping students become individuals who are responsible for their own learning.
Problem
This study aimed to examine changes in nursing students’ self‐reported multidimensional 21st‐century skills perceptions and lifelong learning trends following completion of a nursing management course and to investigate the relationship between these two concepts.
Approach
This quasi‐experimental study was conducted with a single group ( n = 220) and employed a pretest and posttest design.
Outcomes
This study’s results showed that posttest scores were significantly higher than pretest scores in multidimensional 21st‐century skills perceptions (information and technology literacy skills, entrepreneurship and innovation skills, critical thinking and problem‐solving skills, social responsibility and leadership skills, and career awareness) following participation in the nursing management course ( p < 0.001). Similarly, scores pertaining to willingness to learn and openness to development increased significantly at the posttest ( p < 0.001). These findings suggest positive changes after completion of the course, although causality cannot be established due to the absence of a control group. Additionally, higher self‐reported multidimensional 21st‐century skills perceptions were significantly associated with higher lifelong learning trends scores ( β : 0.532; R 2 : 0.283).
Conclusion
Students reported higher perceptions of 21st‐century skills and lifelong learning trends after completing the nursing management course. Controlled studies using objective competency measures are needed to determine the extent to which these changes can be attributed to the course.