title: Group concept mapping for evaluation and development in nursing education.
abstract: The value of course evaluations has been debated since they frequently fail to capture the complexity of education and learning. Group Concept Mapping (GCM), a participant-centred mixed-method was explored as a tool for evaluation and development in nursing education and to better understand students' learning experiences, using data from a GCM-based evaluation of a research training assignment integrating clinical practice and research data collection within a Swedish university nursing program. Student nurses (n = 47) participated in a one-day GCM exercise. Focus group brainstorming regarding experiences from the assignment that the students considered important and instructive yielded 98 statements that were individually sorted based on their student-perceived relationships, and rated regarding their importance/instructiveness and need for development. Quantitative analysis of sort data produced a 2-dimensional map representing their conceptual relationships, and eight conceptual areas. Average cluster ratings were plotted relative to each other and provided a decision aid for development and planning by identifying areas (i.e., "Research methodology", "Patients' perspectives", and "Interviewer role") considered highly important/instructive and in high need for development. These experiences illustrate the use and potential of GCM as an interactive participant-centred approach to evaluation, planning and development in nursing and other higher health science educations.
authors: The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden. Electronic address: Peter.Hagell@hkr.se.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Hagell
authors: The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden. Electronic address: Ellinor.Edfors@hkr.se.
authors: Ellinor
authors: E
authors: Edfors
authors: The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden. Electronic address: Gita.Hedin@hkr.se.
authors: Gita
authors: G
authors: Hedin
authors: The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden. Electronic address: Albert.Westergren@hkr.se.
authors: Albert
authors: A
authors: Westergren
authors: The PRO-CARE Group, School of Health and Society, Kristianstad University, SE-291 88 Kristianstad, Sweden; Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, PO Box 157, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: Catharina.Sjodahl_Hammarlund@med.lu.se.
authors: Catharina Sjödahl
authors: CS
authors: Hammarlund
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003210:Concept Formation; D003479:Curriculum; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D018794:Problem-Based Learning / Q000379:methods*; D013338:Students, Nursing; D013548:Sweden; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Evaluation; Experiential learning; Group Concept Mapping; Mixed-methods; Nursing education research