EFFECTIVENESS OF THE THINK–PAIR–SHARE COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGY ON CLASSROOM ENGAGEMENT AND LEARNING OUTCOMES AMONG UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS
Keywords:
Think–Pair–Share, cooperative learning, classroom engagement, learning outcomes, nursing students, Pakistan.Abstract
Background: Traditional lecture-based instruction in nursing education often limits active student participation and critical thinking development. The Think–Pair–Share (TPS) cooperative learning strategy has emerged as a promising pedagogical approach to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Think–Pair–Share cooperative learning strategy on classroom engagement and learning outcomes among undergraduate nursing students at Nishtar College of Nursing, NMU Multan.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed with 120 undergraduate nursing students (60 in the experimental group and 60 in the control group). The experimental group received instruction through the TPS strategy, while the control group received traditional lecture-based instruction. Classroom engagement was measured using the Classroom Engagement Survey (CES), and learning outcomes were assessed through a researcher-developed knowledge test.
Results: The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-intervention classroom engagement scores (M = 4.21, SD = 0.48) compared to the control group (M = 3.42, SD = 0.56), with t(118) = 8.34, p < .001. Similarly, learning outcome scores were significantly higher in the experimental group (M = 82.45, SD = 7.23) than in the control group (M = 71.18, SD = 8.91), t(118) = 7.56, p < .001.
Conclusion: The Think–Pair–Share strategy significantly enhances classroom engagement and learning outcomes among undergraduate nursing students. Integrating TPS into nursing curricula is recommended to foster active learning and improve academic performance.
