Abstract:
Context: Small group activities are frequently used in nursing education to foster nursing knowledge and teamwork skills. Student engagement in learning is influenced by factors such as student-to-student contact, student-to-teacher contact, and active learning strategies. Aim: To investigate undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions when engaged in small group activities and explore factors that foster or hinder engagement in small group activities. Methods: Case study methodology was used and two data sources explored students’ perceptions of engagement in small group activities. Course delivery was evaluated using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Findings: Forty-one participants responded to the questionnaire and 12 participants were interviewed as part of this study. The four themes identified that impacted student engagement in the course were group formation, motivation, leadership, and assessment. Conclusions: The size of groups influenced group dynamics and impacted students’ motivation to engage. Small group activities fostered motivation in students to be responsible group members and develop teamwork skills. Participants valued learning from and understanding the perspectives of others more than the attainment of grades. Leadership skills were fostered by engaging in small group activities. The findings suggest that the weighting of assessments and the grade distribution process impacted motivation to engage in small group activities within the course.
