Analysis of learning tasks in the vocational training in nursing under the focus of cognitive activation

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Bärbel Wesselborg; Professorin Dr. Ulrike Weyland
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 497938308

Indicators of a high teaching quality are cognitive-activating tasks, which learners deal with independently during work phases. So far, it is unclear to what extent cognitive-activating tasks are handled in the vocational training in nursing. High-quality teaching can prepare students for the increasingly complex supply needs and new tasks in the health care system. Against this background, the project 'Analysis of learning tasks in in the vocational training in nursing under the focus of cognitive activation‘ aims to gain insights into the quality of tasks and potentially cognitive-activating subject-specific content. In the study based on a mixed-methods design, nursing teachers (n=20) are interviewed about their leading task design criteria. In addition, it is asked which subject-specific content in nursing training is considered to be particularly cognitive-activating. Furthermore, learning tasks (n=20) from everyday nursing lessons are analyzed with regard to their potential for cognitive activation. Preliminary work is used for task analysis in which a further differentiated subject-didactic category system has been developed to assess the cognitive-activating potential of tasks in the vocational training in nursing. With seven dimensions, this first instrument enables a differentiated assessment of the cognitive potential of tasks in in the vocational training in nursing. There is a need for further development, in particular with regard to subject-specific differentiation in the vocational training in nursing. In addition to the presentation of descriptive results on the quality of tasks in nursing lessons, the results of the different research-methodological approaches are to be triangulated in a qualitative type formation in order to gain insights into the contexts of the formulated design criteria of the teachers and the written learning tasks. The study is a preliminary study and prepares a futher study involving teaching observation. In the following multi-perspective and representative study, the embedding of tasks in teaching and the relationships between cognitive activation and learning success should be investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Marc Kleinknecht