The questioning skills of clinical teachers and preceptors: a comparative study

Aim of the study. The purpose of this study, conducted as partial requireme nt for a Master of Nursing Studies Degree, was to explore, describe and com pare the level of questions asked by clinical teachers and preceptors. Background. Questioning is one of many teaching/learning strategies thought to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills which are integr al to nursing practice. As such the type and number of questions asked have implications for student learning. Currently in Melbourne, Australia, many undergraduate nursing degree courses utilize both clinical teachers and pr eceptors to facilitate student learning in the clinical setting. Design. A comparative descriptive design was used. Participants were given three acute care patient scenarios involving an undergraduate nursing stude nt, as part of a questionnaire, and asked to identify the questions they wo uld ask the student in relation to the scenario. Findings. Data revealed that the clinical teachers had considerably more ye ars of experience in their role and higher academic qualifications than did the preceptors. The clinical teachers also asked a greater number of quest ions overall and more from the higher cognitive level. Despite this, the fi ndings suggest that both clinical teachers and especially preceptors need t o increase the number of higher level questions they ask. Conclusions. Based on the findings of this study, it is evident that there is a need for further comparative studies into the questioning skills of cl inical teachers and preceptors. Also, these two groups require education ab out the importance of higher level questioning for student learning as well as how to ask questions generally.