Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning in Nursing Education

Employers want graduates who have the confidence and ability to make appropriate patient care decisions. This study was done to determine whether Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), would have an effect on the diploma in nursing students’ academic achievement and confidence in learning. A convenience sample of students (n=73) were randomly assigned to two groups. A quasi-experimental study was conducted using pre-test/post-test together with a beginning/end of semester confidence in learning surveys. To determine the perception of the students towards the new instructional method, a semi-structured interview was done amongst nine students from the experimental group. Significant difference was found between the two groups towards confidence in learning, but not in the post-test scores. Three main categories and nine themes emerged from the interviews which supported the quantitative findings that POGIL as an instructional method has the potential to make a significant contribution to nursing education.