Epistemological beliefs and the Self-efficacy Scale in nursing students.

BACKGROUND

Epistemological beliefs in their most general form define an individual's subjective beliefs about what knowledge is and how knowing and learning occur.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate epistemological beliefs and the Self-efficacy Scale in nursing students.

DESIGN

Prospective survey study.

SETTINGS

University School of Nursing.

PARTICIPANTS

Nursing students.

METHODS

Outcome parameters included Nurses' Descriptive Characteristics Data Form, Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire and Self-efficacy Scale.

RESULTS

As for the subscales of epistemological beliefs, Effort Subscale was 38.89 ± 11.62, Ability Subscale was 24.02 ± 6.19 and Unchanging Truth Subscale was 30.65 ± 5.74. Total score of the self-efficacy subscales was 74.39 ± 13.59. It has been determined that the majority (60.8%) of nursing students have chosen the nursing profession willingly, 82.8% of them like the nursing profession and 59.8% of students have a good perception of their own academic achievements.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding student's epistemological beliefs, trying to improve them and creating suitable learning environments for the development of self-efficacy should be the aim of an education that values individual differences.