Building innovative minds - The role of project planning course in enhancing nursing students' critical thinking, lifelong learning, and individual innovativeness skills: A quasi-experimental non-randomized study.
TL;DR
The effectiveness of a structured project planning course in enhancing nursing students' individual innovativeness, especially in areas such as opinion leadership and risk-taking, is demonstrated.
Abstract
Background
Equipping nursing students with 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, lifelong learning, and innovativeness is vital for safe and high-quality patient care. Although 21st-century competencies are increasingly emphasized as essential outcomes of nursing education, project planning courses remain insufficiently integrated into nursing curricula. Furthermore, there is a paucity of empirical evidence regarding its effects on individual innovativeness, critical thinking motivation, and lifelong learning among nursing students.
Objective
This study aimed to examine the effect of a structured project planning course on nursing students' critical thinking motivation, individual innovativeness, and lifelong learning levels.
Methods
This quasi-experimental study was conducted with second-year nursing students (intervention group: n = 19; control group: n = 19). The intervention group participated in a 14-week structured project planning course. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were conducted using the Critical Thinking Motivation Scale, Individual Innovativeness Scale, and Lifelong Learning Scale. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests as well as repeated measures ANOVA.
Results
Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group's total IIS scores (η2 = 0.024, p = 0.032), particularly in the subdimensions of opinion leadership (p = 0.012) and risk-taking (η2 = 0.082, p = 0.021). The qualitative shift in innovation profiles, supported by graphical analysis, showed a transition from passive adopter categories to "Innovators" and "Early Adopters" by the end of the course.
Conclusion
This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a structured project planning course in enhancing nursing students' individual innovativeness, especially in areas such as opinion leadership and risk-taking. While the impact on critical thinking motivation and lifelong learning was limited, emerging trends point to the potential for improvement with broader and more sustained application. These findings support the integration of structured project planning course into nursing education, emphasizing the value of combining theoretical instruction with practical research experiences.