Nursing faculty and undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions and experiences of collaborative learning: A scoping review

Abstract

Background

Collaborative learning has been used commonly in contemporary nursing education, valued for fostering critical thinking, enhancing problem-solving skills, and deepening understanding of learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of comprehensive evidence synthesis regarding the experiences of nursing faculty and nursing students in collaborative learning, which is necessary to gain better insights into this process.

Objective

To synthesise the literature on the perceptions and experiences of nursing faculty and undergraduate nursing students regarding collaborative learning in pre-licensure nursing programs.

Method

A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology for Scoping Reviews, following the framework originally developed by Arksey and O'Malley (2005).

Results

Twenty-two studies were included for data extraction and synthesis. Thematic synthesis, guided by Braun and Clarke's approach, revealed three primary themes: benefits of collaborative learning, barriers to collaborative learning, and recommendations for improvement. Each theme was further divided into sub-themes. Both nursing faculty and students identified several benefits, such as personal, professional benefits and impact on nursing practice. However, they also identified barriers, including issues related to planning and implementation, as well as student engagement. Overall, the findings indicate a scarcity of studies that explore nursing faculty's perspectives and collaborative learning as a cohesive process.

Conclusion

Despite the established benefits of collaborative learning in nursing education, certain barriers necessitate a more thorough exploration of collaborative learning as a dynamic process to enhance its further effectiveness in nursing education. The limited emphasis on faculty's perspectives underscores the need for a deeper investigation into collaborative learning environments, particularly from the faculty viewpoint, to provide comprehensive understanding of this crucial process.