High-Level Teaching Plan
Course Code: Name
29/10/2020 Affiliation
High-Level Teaching Plan
Teaching and learning are two complementary concepts that fit each other in the generation and propagation of nursing knowledge as other disciplines globally. The educational theories learned in prior courses as well as those experienced in the practice of nursing include the behavioral, cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives (Ku, Phillipson & Phillipson, 2015). Besides, all modern theories of learning arose from the behavioral view that explained learning as a dual process involving the relationship between a stimulus and a response. Instructional approaches applied in many classroom settings utilize the behavioral principle of learning but the cognitive paradigm allows for the understanding of how the mind understands, knows, and thinks. Therefore, for the cognitive principles of learning, the main targeted outcome is the acquisition of knowledge. On the other hand, sociocultural perspectives engrain learning with the context in which learners are situated. In other words, the manipulation of the social environment can have implications on the level of learning that occurs in an ethnically diverse classroom (Ku, Phillipson & Phillipson, 2015).
This submission is a high-level teaching plan that addresses the methods through which the leadership in nursing courses can be taught to diverse students by nursing instructors in institutions of higher learning such as colleges and universities. A relevant learning theory is selected for the optimal delivery of the contents in the course for the class of diverse students. For example, the behavioral perspective of learning is broad and contains theories such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Cognitive theories of learning include the cognitive development model, the information processing theory, and the levels of processing presented by Craik and Lockhart. On the other hand, key theories in the sociocultural approach to learning include the zone of proximal development, cultural behavior, apprenticeship, ecological system, and the social cognitive theory (Ku, Phillipson & Phillipson, 2015). There are problems that diversity among students may pose and this submission also suggests evidence-based ways of overcoming the challenges to ensure that teaching and learning continue smoothly with minimal or no conflicts.
Course Description
The course anticipated for teaching through the use of the current high-level teaching plan involves the understanding and effective application of leadership skills for nursing students in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, this submission is a proposal of a framework utilized by nursing instructors in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students. Leadership in nursing is pivotal since a nurse practitioner must reflect high levels of sharp decision-making skills in effective and efficient clinical management. Integrated care for clients and patients necessitates the need for the education of leadership skills to nurses during training since it facilitates the clinical practice of patient-centered care, holistic assessment, self-management, co-ordination of interprofessional services, and the exercise of collaboration with colleagues at different working departments (Duncan, 2019). Besides, transformational leadership in nursing includes prioritizing critical aspects such as health promotion, prevention, as well as effective diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation within healthcare systems.
The environment that will be utilized in teaching the course on leadership in nursing not only involves the provision of physical cathedral lectures but also involves an electronic online learning environment. For example, students are expected to attend classes that need the practical exhibition of leadership skills such as the ability to make presentations on decisions for managing healthcare teams in undertaking interventions such as developing nursing plans for patients. Competency-based leadership training for the students must involve teamwork and the creation of a learning environment where ideas are sought, listened to, and valued (Duncan, 2019). Online learning will be utilized in teaching theoretical concepts involving leadership in nursing. The intended audience for this course includes nursing students at both undergraduate and postgraduate academic levels.
Relevant Educational Theory for the Course
The appropriate theory for teaching leadership in nursing for undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students suggested in this presentation is the cognitive perspective that explains knowledge construction, acquisition, the construction of beliefs about knowledge, and the control of cognitive processes. Cognition traces back to Gestalt psychology that addresses how the mind perceives and organizes pieces of information into a structured whole, and derives from it a meaningful representation of the world (Ku, Phillipson & Phillipson, 2015). Besides, cognitivism argues that human beings are active learners who use mental activities to select, filter, evaluate, and predict events basing on their needs and goals.
Cognitive learning theories are relevant for teaching leadership in nursing because they help in designing the course in a way that is easier for students to remember information from previous classes or life experiences, integrate new information with prior knowledge, and to conduct a meaningful learning process. Piaget's view of knowledge acquisition explains that students’ minds either learn through assimilation or accommodation. During assimilation, the knowledge that was learned previously is used to make sense of newly acquired knowledge. This can be utilized in the current high-level teaching plan through the inclusion of introductory leadership notes that the undergraduate and postgraduate students will identify with as familiar before delving deeper into the core of new knowledge. In the process of accommodation, prior understanding is altered and new knowledge is added to initially acquired understanding. Therefore, the structure of the course is designed in an interconnected way from the introduction to the conclusion to facilitate accommodation among undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students. Acquisition of knowledge also requires the readiness of the mind that is possible through strategies such as encouraging maximum participation of learners in all the classes and offering help by explaining complex concepts that may be difficult to understand during regular lessons.
Theories of cognitive learning such as understanding the Piagetian model of cognitive development, the information processing theory by Atkinson and Shiffrin, and the levels of processing by Craik and Lockhart fit the topic, audience, and context of this course in a myriad of ways. For example, there are leadership styles introduced such as the practice of contingency leadership in nursing that requires a proper understanding process of the methods students use in learning either by assimilation or by accommodation. Furthermore, cognitive learning theories fit the audience made up of both female and male postgraduate students with diversity in ethnicity, race, and social statuses since the basic processes of cognition are almost similar for all people regardless of individual differences from one person to another.
Besides, the context of learning, in this case, encompasses a teacher-learner setting that is well covered under cognitive approaches to learning. For example, at the end of the course, the assessment of the students’ performance in examination reflects the level at which they applied their cognition capabilities in understanding the contents of the course. The type of teaching in the current plan facilitates cognitive knowledge construction since it is designed in a way that encourages understanding among the students rather than memorization through repetition. Therefore, the learning design in this teaching plan is inquiry-based, expository, experiential, and problem-based. The classroom context should be interactive while providing students with the opportunity of practicing collaborative learning, investigations on leadership problems, and hands-on field experience (Ku, Phillipson & Phillipson, 2015).
Potential Diversity in the Anticipated Teaching Group
There is a likelihood that the intended population of nursing students will be diverse in terms of culture, age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and Limited English Proficiency (LEP). Since the design of the course is international aiming at instilling quality leadership skills among nurse professionals around the world, the classes of undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students will include people with both the American and non-American cultures. Cultural diversity in nursing may present a barrier since peoples’ ways of life are different from basic perceptions of daily life realities to diverse worldviews and opinions in religion, food, language, and dressing.
Besides, the postgraduate nursing students will have a huge diversity in age ranging from 18-45 and this may present challenges in ideologies between the young and old members of the class. For ethnicity, the class may face a challenge of ethnocentrism if members of the same ethnic groups refuse to collaborate with members of different ethnic groups in learning about leadership in nursing. Consequently, the barriers in developing collaboration among students during learning may impede the delivery of safe patient-centered care in the clinical setting if professionalism is not inculcated in student’s minds during training. Additionally, some of the students attending the physical cathedral lecturers may be financially disabled compared to their counterparts hence problems with self-esteem may arise among the poor members of the class. For example, physical appearance probably by cheap dressing may negatively work on the self-esteem of students when required to do a group presentation on leadership skills before the class. Furthermore, students with LEP may find it difficult to engage in conversations with lecturers or classmates and it may be problematic to understand some of the concepts introduced by lecturers’ foreign speech. Besides, the students may have problems in writing English examinations or communicating in group discussions.
Solutions from Current Research to Adress the Diversity Barriers in the Learning Environment
Cultural diversity, age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and LEP are some of the differences that may hinder effective learning for the course on leadership in nursing if not well managed among undergraduate and postgraduate students. Since the required learning environment is supposed to be interactive, these obstacles must be dealt with effectively through the application of evidence-based strategies for managing diversity barriers in nursing learning environments. For example, the existence of a multicultural phenomenon requires all the nursing students to have cultural competence (Rahma & Noviestari, 2019). Culturally competent nursing students understand regard others with respect and are also able to provide culturally sensitive care for patients.
Differences in terms of gender are solvable through the enhancement of gender equality among the anticipated nursing students (Gupta et al., 2019). Therefore, the students will be expected to accommodate shifts in gender norms and treat each other with dignity since no gender is inferior to the other. The inclusion criteria for students will also be gender-equitable with strengthened accountability mechanisms to eliminate gender bias. Besides, the disparities in age can be managed through the inclusion of course objectives that merge with the expectations of both generation X and Y since research indicates that they have different attitudes (Huber & Schubert, 2019). Differences in ethnicity and socioeconomic status are manageable through unity and professionalism respectively. Besides, financially disadvantaged members of the class can benefit from scholarship programs offered by willing donors who support the course financially. On the other hand, students with limited proficiency in English are helped by the recommendation of additional language coaching classes and increased participation in group discussions for the sharpening of communication skills (Jang & Kim, 2019).
Conflict Management in the Classroom
Conflicts are unavoidable in the educational and clinical settings that are associated with the functionality of the current high-level teaching plan. Among the strategies employed for conflict management among the anticipated undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students includes the practice of emotional intelligence and the application of conflict management styles for different personalities (Chan, Sit & Lau, 2014). The nursing students may face conflict with teachers, classmates, supervisors, or patients in areas of clinical placement. Besides, the misunderstandings that may arise from differences in thoughts, values, or feelings, and when they are solved, there are higher levels of quality achievement. The problem-based approach within this course’s design recommends for students to develop critical conflict management skills such as empathy, effective listening, and anger management (Başoğul & Özgür, 2016). Additionally, the integrative style of conflict management is appropriate for the educational setting since it solves conflicts directly and cooperatively hence collaboratively reaching solutions for the parties involved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this is a high-level evidence-based teaching plan targeted for undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students. The course involves inculcating transformational and contingency leadership skills among nursing students for improved delivery of healthcare services. Besides, the design of the course utilizes cognitive theories of learning to augment understanding and enhance recall of the knowledge gained from the contents among the participating students. Additionally, there are barriers that arise in terms of diversity among the participating students but evidence-based solutions have also been covered.
References
Başoğul, C., & Özgür, G. (2016). Role of emotional intelligence in conflict management strategies of nurses. Asian Nursing Research, 10(3), 228-233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2016.07.002
Chan, J. C., Sit, E. N., & Lau, W. (2014). Conflict management styles, emotional intelligence and implicit theories of personality of nursing students: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 34(6), 934-939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.10.012
Duncan, M. (2019). Integrated care systems and nurse leadership. British Journal of Community Nursing, 24(11), 538-542. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2019.24.11.538
Gupta, G. R., Oomman, N., Grown, C., Conn, K., Hawkes, S., Shawar, Y. R., Shiffman, J., Buse, K., Mehra, R., Bah, C. A., Heise, L., Greene, M. E., Weber, A. M., Heymann, J., Hay, K., Raj, A., Henry, S., Klugman, J., & Darmstadt, G. L. (2019). Gender equality and gender norms: Framing the opportunities for health. The Lancet, 393(10190), 2550-2562. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)30651-8
Huber, P., & Schubert, H. (2019). Attitudes about work engagement of different generations—A cross‐sectional study with nurses and supervisors. Journal of Nursing Management, 27(7), 1341-1350. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12805
Jang, Y., & Kim, M. T. (2019). Limited English proficiency and health service use in Asian Americans. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 21(2), 264-270. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0763-0
Ku, Kelly Y.L, Phillipson, Sivanes, & Phillipson, Shane N. (2015). Educational Learning Theory. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition, pp. 238–245). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92150-0
Rahma, N. F., & Novieastari, E. (2019). Differences in cultural competence between nursing students in academic and professional programs. Enfermería Clínica, 29, 528-531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.04.080