Effect of learning contracts in clinical pediatric nursing education on students' outcomes: A research article

Background: According to previous research, learning contracts positively influence learners' self-directed learning ability, learning satisfaction, and academic performance. However, there are insufficient researches on the application of learning contracts to clinical training in pediatric nursing. This study sought basic data for developing an effective teaching and learning strategy for clinical education in pediatric nursing. Objective: This study aimed to validate the effect of learning contracts on students' problem-solving skills, self-directed learning capability, and communication self-efficacy. Design: Nonequivalent control group posttest design. Participants and settings: The participants comprised a total of 50 junior nursing students, 25 in each group at a college in Daejeon City, South Korea. Method: This study compared the above-mentioned outcomes between control (before clinical pediatric nursing education) and experimental groups (after received such education and applied learning contracts). Results: The experimental group demonstrated higher problem-solving skills, self-directed learning capability, and communication self-efficacy scores than did the control group. Conclusion: Learning contracts should be applied in practical courses as a teaching and learning method to improve relevant nursing skills, such as problem-solving skills, self-directed learning capabilities, and communication self-efficacy.