Development of Higher-Level Intellectual Skills through Interactive Group Work: Perspectives between Students and Educators

Abstract

Nursing education nurtures students to have adequate competence in managing current patient care with complex and sophisticated technology in healthcare service. Interdisciplinary collaboration is important for maintaining high quality and safe patient care. Small group work is effective for enhancing students’ theoretical knowledge and training in various skills. However, there is inadequate knowledge on how students develop higher-level intellectual skills to benefit their sense of collaboration through small group work. The aim of this study was to understand how undergraduate nurse students develop higher-level intellectual skills through small group work based on nurse students and educators’ learning and teaching experiences, respectively. This study was the secondary analysis of a qualitative study with 13 students and 10 educators using semi-structured group interviews with digital audio recording at a professional educational institution. Four skills were derived as main themes, including interpersonal communication, critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity, which enhance collaborative abilities. All skills were developed through interactive learning while working in a group. A theoretical framework was developed to illustrate the relationships among these skills through interactive group work. Interpersonal communication is the most important skill to be closely linked with other identified skills to enhance students’ interdisciplinary collaboration for a higher quality and more cost-effective care. The results will increase educators’ awareness in facilitating the development of these skills through interactive group activities.