Nursing students’ attitudes toward technology-enhanced psychomotor skill learning: scale development and validation using a mixed-methods approach
TL;DR
The findings suggest that information technologies are perceived not only as instructional tools but also as multidimensional learning environments that support learning processes, clinical practice, and professional development and may contribute to the evaluation and improvement of technology-enhanced nursing education practices.
Abstract
The integration of information technologies into nursing education has increased significantly, particularly in the teaching of psychomotor skills. Although these technologies provide important learning opportunities, students’ attitudes toward their use play a critical role in the effectiveness of technology-enhanced education. However, there is a lack of valid and reliable instruments specifically designed to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward the use of information technologies in psychomotor skill learning. This study aimed to examine nursing students’ attitudes toward the use of information technologies in psychomotor skill learning and to develop and validate a measurement tool for this purpose. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 nursing students, and data were analysed using content analysis. Based on qualitative findings and a literature review, an initial item pool was generated. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from 891 nursing students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to examine construct validity, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega coefficients. Qualitative findings identified four subthemes regarding students’ attitudes toward the use of information technologies in psychomotor skill learning. Factor analyses supported a 33-item scale with four dimensions. The CFA results indicated an acceptable level of model fit (CFI = 0.907, TLI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.080, SRMR = 0.048). The overall Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.94, indicating high internal consistency. The developed scale is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing nursing students’ attitudes toward the use of information technologies in psychomotor skill learning. The findings suggest that information technologies are perceived not only as instructional tools but also as multidimensional learning environments that support learning processes, clinical practice, and professional development. This scale may contribute to the evaluation and improvement of technology-enhanced nursing education practices.