title: Collaborative action research: implementation of cooperative learning.
abstract: Nurse educators must continually improve their teaching skills through innovation. However, research about the process used by faculty members to transform their teaching methods is limited. This collaborative study uses classroom action research to describe, analyze, and address problems encountered in implementing cooperative learning in two undergraduate nursing courses. After four rounds of action and reflection, the following themes emerged: students did not understand the need for structured cooperative learning; classroom structure and seating arrangement influenced the effectiveness of activities; highly structured activities engaged the students; and short, targeted activities that involved novel content were most effective. These findings indicate that designing specific activities to prepare students for class is critical to cooperative learning.
authors.affiliation: California State University San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California, USA. mstoner@csusb.edu
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith-Stoner
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Molle
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002140:California; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006126:Group Processes; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007858:Learning; D017145:Models, Educational; D016294:Models, Nursing; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015402:Nursing Education Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011361:Professional Competence; D016730:Program Development; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*