Effect of introducing Enquiry-based learning in a traditional Chinese medicine nursing course on postgraduate learning: a mixed-methods study

Abstract Background: Nursing educators have integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) into current postgraduate medical education (PGME), but face significant obstacles to high-quality instructional design and scientific teaching methods. Enquiry-based learning (EBL) has already branched out into online and blended learning in undergraduate teaching, but this has not been proved in the postgraduate nursing education in China. This pilot study aimed to assess the impact of EBL model on learning outcomes in TCM courses by examining objective performance and subjective perceptions of student course performance. Methods: All students attending Rehabilitation Nursing of TCM course in the academic year 2017-2021 were included in this study and they were divided into two groups. The EBL group was taught using a EBL program containing three phases. The LBL group was taught using traditional lecture-based learning (LBL). This mixed-methods pilot study included a retrospective quantitative phase and a prospective qualitative phase, and we assessed participants' course performance, course satisfaction, and course experience. Results: We observed there were significant differences between the two groups in their scores on the Project report (p＜0.05) and Curriculum paper (p＜0.05), but no significant difference between the final course scores of the two groups (p=0.056). The EBL feedback forms results show that EBL students were satisfied with the teaching objectives, content, methods and process. The results of the qualitative data indicated that students had a very positive overall experience with EBL and perceived it to play a role in the Rehabilitation Nursing of TCM course, mainly in the three themes of teaching, learning and psychology. Conclusions: In this study, EBL model was introduced into TCM course teaching for the first time. Our findings indicate that EBL is a powerful educational strategy and it is effective for Chinese postgraduate education. EBL model provides a positive learning opportunity for nursing postgraduates, and can lead to an improvement in students' performance in TCM courses.