Comparison of teacher-centered and interprofessional peer teaching approaches on clinical skills, test anxiety, and satisfaction among nursing students: a single-blind interventional study

Abstract

Clinical education is a core component of nursing training, and evaluating the effectiveness of innovative teaching and assessment methods plays a key role in advancing nursing education. This study aimed to compare the effects of teacher-centered and interprofessional peer teaching approaches, with an emphasis on interprofessional learning, on satisfaction, test anxiety, and clinical skills among third-semester nursing students. In this single-blind interventional study, conducted from September to December 2018, 49 third-semester nursing selected using census sampling and randomly allocated to either a teacher-centered group ( n  = 25) or an interprofessional peer teaching group ( n  = 24). Random allocation was performed using a computer-generated random sequence. In the teacher-centered group, instruction followed traditional methods led by a faculty member. In the interprofessional peer teaching group, a seventh-semester nursing student with the highest OSCE score served as peer mentor, and a medical intern served as a practical ward-related task. Data were collected using the Learner Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Friedman Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 18, employing chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, independent t-tests, and repeated-measures tests. The groups were comparable in demographic characteristics. Mean satisfaction scores were 82.76 ± 10.55 in the teacher-centered group and 83.71 ± 17.80 in the interprofessional peer teaching group ( p  = 0.823). Mean test anxiety scores were 53.32 ± 6.56 and 55.33 ± 6.43, respectively ( p  = 0.284; no significant difference). Mean clinical skills scores (via OSCE) were 87.60 ± 8.24 and 93.08 ± 3.52, respectively ( p  = 0.005). Given the central role of clinical education in nursing, interprofessional peer teaching can enhance student satisfaction and clinical skills.