Study On The Cognitive Engagement And It’s Influencing Factors Of Nursing Undergraduates In Blended Learning

Objective:The purpose of this study is to explore nursing undergraduates’cognitive engagement during the blended learning curricula and to investigate its influential factors based on the Activity theory in order to provide scientific evidence for the development of intervention strategies to improve the cognitive engagement of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula,so as to improve the implementation of blended learning.Methods:This parallel mixed method study used a mixed research design with parallel triangulation of mutual evidence,and qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted simultaneously from November 2021 to May 2022 on nursing undergraduates of grade 2018,grade 2019 and grade 2020 who met the inclusion criteria in the School of Nursing,Jilin University.In particular,the quantitative part of the study was a cross-sectional study,which adopts a convenience sampling method to conduct a questionnaire survey of the study participants.The survey instrument contained six parts:Sociodemographic Characteristics Questionnaire,Cognitive Engagement Scale,Blended Learning Feedback Survey,Academic Motivation Scale,Active Learning State Scale,and Academic Self-efficacy Scale.Epidata3.1 was used for double entry of the data,and SPSS 26.0 was used for processing and analysis of the data.Frequencies and composition ratios were used to describe general demographics of nursing undergraduates;medians and quartiles[M(P₂₅,P₇₅)]or means and standard deviations（（?）±SD）were used to describe the deep cognitive engagement（DCE）scores,shallow cognitive engagement（SCE）scores,total autonomy scores,academic self-efficacy dimensions,academic motivation dimensions,and blended learning feedback dimensions scores of nursing undergraduates.Nonparametric test（Mann-Whitney U test or K-W test）,Spearman’s correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis were used to investigate the predictive effect of each factor on the DCE and SCE of nursing undergraduates.In the qualitative component,a descriptive qualitative research design was used,and a sampling strategy for maximum difference purpose was adopted to conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the research subjects.Interview data were organized and analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of NVivo 12.0,a qualitative research data analysis software.Results:1.Quantitative part1.1 The median DCE of nursing undergraduates was 19.00（17.00,20.00）and the median SCE was 17.00（15.00,19.00）;the median academic ability self-efficacy was3.80（3.40,4.00）,and the median behavioral self-efficacy was 3.20（3.00,3.60）;the mean level of autonomy was 3.49±0.52;the median intrinsic academic motivation was3.00（2.67,4.00）,and the median extrinsic academic motivation was 3.67（3.00,4.00）;median scores for the learning tasks,curriculum schedule,learning resources,and learning activities dimensions of the Blended Learning Feedback Survey were all4.00（3.50,4.00）,the median score for the social interaction dimension was3.83（3.33,4.00）,the median score for the likeability dimension was 4.00（3.00,4.00）,and the median score for the learning platform dimension was 4.00（4.00,4.00）.1.2 The nonparametric tests and Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that family monthly income,academic ability self-efficacy,intrinsic academic motivation,autonomy,learning tasks,curriculum schedule,learning resources,learning activities,social interaction,likability,and learning platform were positively associated with DCE（P<0.05）.In addition,the variables positively associated with SCE were that family location,extrinsic academic motivation,academic behavior self-efficacy,curriculum schedule,learning resources,learning activities,social interaction and learning platform（P<0.05）.1.3 The results of multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that learning activities（β=0.226,P=0.004）,academic ability self-efficacy（β=0.311,P<0.001）,and autonomy（β=0.158,P=0.047）were the main predictors of DCE among nursing undergraduates,explaining a total of 28.6%of the variance in the total DCE scores of nursing undergraduates（adjusted R²=0.286）.Social interaction（β=0.343,P<0.001）and academic behavior self-efficacy（β=0.266,P=0.001）were the main predictors of SCE among nursing undergraduates,explaining a total of 23.3%of the variance in the total SCE scores of nursing undergraduates（adjusted R²=0.233）.2.Qualitative part2.1 The results of the interviews with 15 nursing undergraduates revealed that nursing undergraduates’cognitive engagement experiences in the blended learning curricula varied.The interview data were analyzed and refined to arrive at four core themes:“Reconstitution”,“Connection”,“Elaboration”,and“Retention”.2.2 Through in-depth interviews and comprehensive analysis of 15 nursing undergraduates,it was found that the cognitive engagement of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula was influenced by different aspects.Through repeated reading and analysis of the interview data,three core themes（“Learning literacy”,“Curriculum Implementation”and“Learning Environment”）and eleven sub-themes regarding the factors influencing nursing undergraduates’cognitive engagement were extracted from this study.Conclusion:1.The blended learning model can facilitate nursing undergraduates’cognitive engagement,including both DCE and SCE.The in-depth interview found that the cognitive engagement experience of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula included“Reconstitution”,“Connection”,“Elaboration”,and“Retention”,while the investigation pointed out that the cognitive engagement of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula is at a moderate level,which requires the attention of nursing educators.2.Learning activities,academic ability self-efficacy and autonomy can positively predict DCE of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula,while social interaction and academic behavior self-efficacy can positively predict SCE.Nursing educators should pay attention to these variables in order to develop and adopt effective intervention plans in a timely manner to improve the cognitive engagement of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula.3.The parallel and mixed study based on activity theory comprehensively reveals the influencing factors of cognitive engagement of nursing undergraduates in the blended learning curricula.Nursing undergraduates,teachers and peers,and classroom regulations can effectively affect the nursing undergraduates’cognitive engagement in the blended learning curricula.In addition,learning task,information technology,and task assignment can further affect the cognitive engagement through the above factors,which can provide reference for nursing educators to improve the teaching effect of blended learning.