The Relationship Between PSE, Remediation, and Academic Performance in BSN Students
The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the use of structured remediation materials (available as part of a standardized testing package), perceived academic self-efficacy beliefs, and student success in pre-licensure, undergraduate nursing programs. The aim of the study was to test the relationship between academic self-efficacy beliefs and nursing student success.
Rationale/Background
Nurse educators are faced with the daunting task of preparing students for professional practice as registered nurses. Students who are academically underprepared are often at risk for nursing course failure. There is a lack of consensus in the literature about predictors of success in nursing education. Most nursing education research has focused on the nursing licensure examination as the outcome measure. This focus occurs late in the curriculum and fails to address at-risk students who don’t make it to graduation.
Remediation research has also focused on student performance on the licensure examination and interventions are often poorly described, making replication and validation difficult. Standardized testing packages are widely used in nursing education; many have remediation plans embedded in them that allow students to develop an individualized remediation plan based on examination performance. This resource is often underutilized. It is not clear why some students who struggle academically seek out learning opportunities while others do not. In this study, motivation for student learning was evaluated using Bandura’s concept of perceived self-efficacy.
Methods
This research explored the relationship between perceived academic self-efficacy beliefs, academic performance, and remediation of pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students using a prospective, correlational design. Participants were recruited from six public, baccalaureate nursing programs. Data analysis included correlational analysis of the research variables using Pearson’s r.
Results
There was not a statistically significant relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and examination preparation (r= .181; p = .0804) or between remediation and subsequent examination performance (r=.243; p = .135). There was a statistically significant relationship between Remediation and Perceived Academic Self-Efficacy beliefs (r= .341; p= .034).
Discussion/Implications
Limitations for this study include a small sample size and a high attrition rate. Participants also had difficulty in self reporting their study activities on the Examination Preparation Survey, which may have affected the trustworthiness of this measure. Further research is needed to evaluate the benefit of remediation in relation to student outcomes. There is an opportunity for collaborative research among nurse educators in an effort to ensure an adequate sample size for future research efforts. There is also a need to evaluate specific remediation activities to identify which activities provide the most benefit to at risk students.