Study approaches of nursing students: effects of an extended clinical context

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Abstract
In the first part of this study a comparison is made between the approaches to studying adopted by failing and achieving nursing college students. It is concluded that failing students manifest approaches to studying that are, in some respects, conceptually difficult to interpret. This conclusion is presented against a background of similar findings that have emanated from other recent studies on student learning. The second part of this study investigates the influence of contextual perceptions on the manifestation of the approaches to studying adopted by achieving students. In thus exploring the manifestation of different forms of contextualized approaches to studying (which are referred to as study orchestrations) a distinction is made between the influences attributable to 'conventional' and 'clinical' sets of contextual variables. In an extension of previously reported studies, it is concluded that the combined set of these contextual variables explains significantly more of the variation in study approaches than the set of 'conventional' variables. It is further concluded that, under the influence of an extended set of contextual variables, conceptually related, but differing forms, of study orchestration may be manifested; a general form which is readily interpretable in terms associated with 'conventional' academic contextual variables and a clinical form which, in the present study, is associated specifically with a nursing academic environment. The implications of these conclusions for nursing education are discussed and areas for future research are indicated.