The use of structured debate as a teaching strategy among undergraduate nursing students: A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Nurse educators are required to prepare graduates for the increasing complexities of the practice environment. Debate is a teaching strategy long recognised in many disciplines to promote active learning. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate how debating has been applied in nursing education and the outcomes associated with this educational strategy. Design: A systematic review of the literature. Data sources: Publications in English identified in multiple databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Medline and ERIC) from the launch of the database until 26th November 2019. Review method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided the review. Results: We identified 14 relevant studies describing structured implementation of debate. Heterogeneity was found across the papers regarding topics, timing schedules, group formation and positioning. Most of the studies evaluated implementation using satisfaction questionnaires or subjective observations. Three quasi-experimental studies reported that implementation of debating improved declarative capacity, argumentative capacity, idealistic moral judgment, and realistic moral judgment. Conclusions: Current studies do not provide enough evidence to understand the scope of debating as an instrument to develop nursing care skills. However, based on the evidence reviewed, we have identified elements to establish a debate-based learning format that might enhance student’s learning and future studies.