Relationship between nursing students’ epistemological beliefs and locus of control

Summary 

Introduction

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between nursing students’ epistemologic beliefs and locus of control, and the research was conducted at Istanbul University Florence Nightingale School of Nursing with 350 nursing students.

Methods

Data were collected using the Turkish version of the Epistemological beliefs questionnaire and Rotter’s Internal–External Locus of Control Scale. In the data analysis number, percentage, mean, correlation analysis, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey HSD test were used.

Results

The findings as whole indicated that nursing students’ epistemological beliefs that “The Belief of Learning Depends on Effort (Effort)” showed a greater degree of development than their beliefs about the two other dimensions as named “The Belief of Learning Depends on Ability (Ability)” and “The Belief That There is Only One Unchanging Truth (Unchanging Truth)” in this study, while their belief that there is Unchanging Truth was not developed when compared to the other two. There was a positive correlation between nursing students locus of control and Effort and Ability dimensions, but a significant correlation was not found with Unchanging Truth dimension.

Conclusion

This researcher suggests that research should be carried out to determine nursing students’ epistemological beliefs and the factors influencing them in an environment to promote the development of these beliefs, and thus the research can be used to learn about the development of the epistemological beliefs.

Keywords: Epistemological beliefs, Locus of control, Nurse education, Nursing students