Content Analysis of Student Essays after Attending a Problem-Based Learning Course: Facilitating the Development of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Japanese Nursing Students

Itatani, Tomoya; Nagata, Kyoko; Yanagihara, Kiyoko; Tabuchi, Noriko

doi:10.3390/healthcare5030047

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Content Analysis of Student Essays after Attending a Problem-Based Learning Course: Facilitating the Development of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Japanese Nursing Students

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Division of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa 920-0942, Japan

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Academic Editor: Sampath Parthasarathy

Healthcare 2017, 5(3), 47; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5030047

Received: 6 July 2017 / Revised: 16 August 2017 / Accepted: 18 August 2017 / Published: 22 August 2017

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Abstract

The importance of active learning has continued to increase in Japan. The authors conducted classes for first-year students who entered the nursing program using the problem-based learning method which is a kind of active learning. Students discussed social topics in classes. The purposes of this study were to analyze the post-class essay, describe logical and critical thinking after attended a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) course. The authors used Mayring’s methodology for qualitative content analysis and text mining. In the description about the skills required to resolve social issues, seven categories were extracted: (recognition of diverse social issues), (attitudes about resolving social issues), (discerning the root cause), (multi-lateral information processing skills), (making a path to resolve issues), (processivity in dealing with issues), and (reflecting). In the description about communication, five categories were extracted: (simple statement), (robust theories), (respecting the opponent), (communication skills), and (attractive presentations). As the result of text mining, the words extracted more than 100 times included “issue,” “society,” “resolve,” “myself,” “ability,” “opinion,” and “information.” Education using PBL could be an effective means of improving skills that students described, and communication in general. Some students felt difficulty of communication resulting from characteristics of Japanese. View Full-Text

Keywords: first-year education; problem-based learning; critical thinking; communication; nursing education

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Itatani, T.; Nagata, K.; Yanagihara, K.; Tabuchi, N. Content Analysis of Student Essays after Attending a Problem-Based Learning Course: Facilitating the Development of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Japanese Nursing Students. Healthcare 2017, 5, 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5030047

AMA Style

Itatani T, Nagata K, Yanagihara K, Tabuchi N. Content Analysis of Student Essays after Attending a Problem-Based Learning Course: Facilitating the Development of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Japanese Nursing Students. Healthcare. 2017; 5(3):47. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5030047

Chicago/Turabian Style

Itatani, Tomoya, Kyoko Nagata, Kiyoko Yanagihara, and Noriko Tabuchi. 2017. "Content Analysis of Student Essays after Attending a Problem-Based Learning Course: Facilitating the Development of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills in Japanese Nursing Students" Healthcare 5, no. 3: 47. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare5030047

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