INTRODUCTION:

Conducting research to increase professional knowledge is one of the essential elements of a profession¹. Thus, evidence-based practice through active participation in research activities, has been highlighted as a core competency for health professionals².

In line with this, nursing education was designed to equip students with skills necessary to read, critique, understand and conduct research which will improve their competence and confidence when they start their nursing practice^3,4. In nursing schools, students learn the importance of evidence-based practice in providing high-quality care, and the need to be advocates for nursing research⁵ which is influenced by their attitudes towards research⁶. However, they seem to have preconceived negative ideas about research⁷. Educating them with clinically valid research findings could reshape their perceptions, and enhance their appreciation of research with the possibility of improving the nursing practice⁸.

Nursing research is a “systematic inquiry designed to develop trustworthy evidence about issues of importance to the nursing profession, including nursing practice, education, administration and informatics”⁹^p.4, with the aim of improving nursing interventions to enhance professional practice¹⁰ and standards of care for patients and families¹¹. Nursing research in Nigeria is at its lowest. This has been attributed to low level of education of nurses in Nigeria, as university education is required to conduct quality research and promote evidence-based practice¹². Indeed, writing bachelor’s thesis promotes positive attitude to research and research participation¹³. It has been established that Nigerian nurses with bachelor’s degree had significantly better perception of research utilization than those with diploma in nursing qualification only¹⁴. Oluwatosin (2014) also observed that only 21% of nurses had conducted research informed by observations in clinical practice, while a meagre 4% had published in scientific journals¹⁵. In Nigeria, there are only 28 accredited universities offering bachelor of nursing science (BNSc) program compared with 142 and 92 institutions offering diploma in nursing and midwifery programs respectively¹⁶. This implies that majority of nurses in Nigeria do not have a bachelor’s degree in Nursing. Several studies have assessed the attitude of nursing students towards research^17,^18,¹⁹. Nonetheless, only one study has assessed the attitude of nursing students towards research in Nigeria²⁰. The study however did not employ Attitude towards research (ATR) scale in the assessment nor examined the participation of students in research-related activities.

The Ogun State Government (OGSG) is a leader in nursing and midwifery education in Nigeria managing three schools of nursing and two schools of midwifery – the highest by any state government in the country. The fact that no study has reported on the attitude of students in these schools to research coupled with the huge investment by the OGSG in these schools, we saw an opportunity here to assess attitude of diploma nursing and midwifery students in the state to research. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the attitude of nursing and midwifery students in Ogun State towards research, and their participation in research-related activities.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

Design:

Descriptive design using a validated questionnaire was used to assess the attitudes of student nurses and midwives towards research, and their participation in research-related activities.

Setting:

Study was conducted in 2 Schools of Nursing and 2 Schools of Midwifery owned by Ogun State, a state in Southwestern Nigeria. Both institutions are licensed and regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). The schools of nursing train post-secondary school students over a period of 3 years, after which students write professional qualifying exams to become registered nurses (RN). Whereas, the schools of midwifery train registered nurses for a duration of 18 months after which the nurses write professional qualifying exams to become registered midwives (RM).

Participants:

Target population were diploma nursing students from the graduating classes of 2016 in School of Nursing Ilaro (n=31) and School of Nursing Abeokuta (n=28); and post-basic midwifery students from graduating class of 2017 in School of Midwifery Abeokuta (n=21) and School of Midwifery Ijebu-ode, Ogun State, Nigeria (n=11). The sampling frame comprised a total of 91 students. Sample contained all the students; they were purposively selected having met the inclusion criteria which is taking research course and undertaking research. Thus, we expected that they will provide the best answers to our research questions.

Data Collection Procedure:

Participant information sheet which contained the purpose of the study and what is expected from participants was distributed to the participants after ethical approval has been granted. We then allotted a period of one hour to participants to read and decide whether to participate in the study. Fortunately, all students were willing to take part in the study thus, they were given the informed consent form to read and sign, and the questionnaires to fill. We assured them that their responses would be kept confidential and information obtained from them will be used only for its intended purpose. Participants were accessed in their classrooms where the questionnaires were distributed to them. We waited for participants to complete the questionnaires and retrieved immediately after completion.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval for the study was sought from and granted by research committees of School of Nursing Ilaro and the participating institutions. Research protocol, participant information sheet, informed consent form and questionnaire were submitted to each committee, to support the request for ethical approval.

Evaluation instrument:

Paper-and-pencil questionnaire administration was used to collect primary data for the study. The questionnaire comprised three sections.

Section I: Participant’s demographic characteristics, containing 5 items.

Section II: Participant’s attitude towards research. This section contained 32 items on a 5-point Likert scale, adopted from Papanastasiou’s (2005) ATR scale²¹. Likert scale was used because it was devised to measure attitude in a scientifically accepted and validated manner²². The items were classified into five factors including research usefulness for profession, research anxiety, positive attitudes towards research, relevance to life and research difficulty.

Section III: Participant’s participation in research-related activities, containing 5 positively worded items.

Validity and reliability:

To test the reliability of our questionnaire, we conducted a pilot study where the questionnaire was distributed to 30 diploma nursing students from graduating class of 2016 in Sacred Heart School of Nursing Abeokuta one month before distributing it to participants. Data from pilot study was analysed using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. A reliability coefficient of 0.77 was obtained. A score between 0.70-0.95 is considered acceptable and indicates that the instrument is reliable, that is, it is capable of eliciting the required data. The questionnaire has also been validated in other studies^19,23,24.

Data analysis:

Data were analysed using SPSS (v.23). Descriptive analysis of the independent variables was performed using frequencies and percentages. Data on overall attitude of participants towards research was analysed by assigning a number from 1-5 to each participant’s response to the items on Likert scale, with 1 representing strongly disagree and 5 representing strongly agree. However, for all items in research anxiety and research difficulty domains, and 1 item in relevance to life domain, 1 was assigned to strongly agree and 5 to strongly disagree. Participants’ scores were added up for each domain and divided by total available score if all participants scored 5 for each item and then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. The mean percentage was taken as the overall attitude of participants towards research.

RESULTS:

Our sample consisted of 91 students as all participants completed the questionnaire, yielding 100% response rate. Majority of participants were female students at School of Nursing. The mean age of participants was 26 years. (Table 1).

Table 1: Characteristics of participants (n=91)

Independent variables	Frequency (N)	Percentage (%)
Age
16-20 years	17	19
21-25 years	44	48
26-30 years	11	12
31 years and above	19	21
Gender
Male	5	5
Female	86	95
Ethnicity
Yoruba	82	90
Igbo	6	7
Hausa	3	3
Religion
Christianity	75	82
Islam	16	18
Others	0	0
Institution
School of Nursing	59	65
School of Midwifery	32	35

Table 2: Descriptive statistics on research usefulness domain

Variables	SA	A	U	D	SD
Research is useful for my career.	40(44%)	46(51%)	4(4%)	1(1%)	0(0%)
Research is connected to my field of study.	44(48%)	40(44%)	4(4%)	2(2%)	1(1%)
Research should be indispensable in my professional training.	29(32%)	45(49%)	10(11%)	2(2%)	5(6%)
Research should be taught to all students.	32(35%)	28(31%)	1(1%)	12(13%)	18(20%)
Research is useful to every professional.	47(52%)	40(44%)	3(3%)	0(0%)	1(1%)
Research is very valuable.	37(41%)	51(56%)	2(2%)	1(1%)	0(0%)
I will employ research approaches in my profession.	33(36%)	48(53%)	7(8%)	0(0%)	3(3%)
The skills I have acquired will be helpful to me in the future.	41(45%)	44(48%)	3(3%)	0(0%)	3(3%)
Knowledge from research is as useful as writing.	30(33%)	50(55%)	10(11%)	1(1%)	0(0%)

SA- Strongly agree, A- Agree, U- Undecided, D- Disagree, SD- Strongly disagree

Table 3: Descriptive statistics on positive attitude towards research and research relevance to life domains

Variables	SA	A	U	D	SD
I love research.	12(13%)	18(20%)	16(18%)	21(23%)	24(26%)
I enjoy research.	10(11%)	24(26%)	22(24%)	16(18%)	19(21%)
I like research.	10(11%)	31(34%)	18(20%)	14(15%)	18(20%)
I am interested in research.	14(15%)	28(31%)	19(21%)	18(20%)	12(13%)
Research acquired knowledge is as useful as arithmetic.	15(16%)	43(47%)	20(22%)	2(2%)	11(12%)
Research is interesting.	14(15%)	36(40%)	16(18%)	14(15%)	11(12%)
Most students benefit from research.	20(22%)	50(55%)	13(14%)	2(2%)	6(7%)
I am inclined to study the details of research.	19(21%)	31(34%)	25(27%)	7(8%)	9(10%)
I use research in my daily life.	16(18%)	36(40%)	14(15%)	10(11%)	15(16%)
Research-oriented thinking plays an important role in everyday life.	17(19%)	44(48%)	17(19%)	6(7%)	7(8%)
Research thinking does not apply to my personal life.	11(12%)	25(27%)	19(21%)	19(21%)	17(19%)
Research is irrelevant to my life.	10(11%)	28(31%)	12(13%)	24(26%)	17(19%)

SA- Strongly agree, A- Agree, U- Undecided, D- Disagree, SD- Strongly disagree

Table 4 Descriptive statistics on research anxiety and difficulty domains

Variables	SA	A	U	D	SD
Research makes me nervous	26(29%)	32(35%)	20(22%)	4(4%)	9(10%)
Research is stressful.	44(48%)	31(34%)	7(8%)	4(4%)	5(6%)
Research makes me anxious	23(25%)	28(31%)	20(22%)	11(12%)	9(10%)
Research scares me.	26(29%)	26(29%)	13(14%)	13(14%)	13(14%)
Research is a complex subject.	31(34%)	41(45%)	11(12%)	3(3%)	5(6%)
Research is complicated.	31(34%)	38(42%)	12(13%)	4(4%)	6(7%)
Research is difficult.	22(24%)	43(47%)	11(12%)	7(8%)	8(9%)
I feel insecure concerning the analysis of research data.	20(22%)	22(24%)	20(22%)	19(21%)	10(11%)
I have trouble with arithmetic.	13(14%)	26(29%)	16(18%)	17(19%)	19(21%)
I find it difficult to understand the concepts of research.	15(16%)	30(33%)	10(11%)	16(18%)	20(22%)
I make many mistakes in research.	20(22%)	35(38%)	14(15%)	10(11%)	12(13%)

SA- Strongly agree, A- Agree, U- Undecided, D- Disagree, SD- Strongly disagree

Table 5 Descriptive statistics on participation in research-related activities

Variables	Yes	No
I participate in scientific meeting	42(46%)	49(54%)
I read scientific nursing journals	53(58%)	38(42%)
I attend pre-field and post-field research defence	55(60%)	36(40%)
I have been a co-researcher before	21(23%)	70(77%)
I have participated in Research Internship Scheme	8(9%)	83(91%)
Mean percentage (participants’ participation)	39%	61%

DISCUSSION:

Sixty three percent of participants had an overall positive attitude towards research. Albeit, only 39% participated in research activities. This is quite surprising considering that a significant population of participants had positive attitude towards research.

Participants’ attitude towards research was assessed using five domains including research usefulness, research anxiety, positive attitude, relevance to life and research difficulty. Majority (95%) of the participants agreed that research is useful for their career. Ninety six percent agreed that professionals in every field of study need to engage with research. Ninety two percent agreed that research is connected to their field of study. Finally, 97% agreed that research is very valuable. This is probably why 89% and 93% of participants will use research approaches in their professional practice, and other activities they become engaged with in the future respectively (Table 2). Overall, 84% of participants expressed agreement that research was useful. This could be because they have benefitted from research findings in some ways, through evidence-based nursing education or improved technology (smartphones, laptops). Other studies also reported that participants perceived research to be useful^19,24,25. Since many participants in the present study agreed that research was useful, they may also find it relevant to life and therefore have positive attitudes towards it.

As expected, participants who agreed that research was relevant to their lives (45%) were more than those who disagreed (42%) (Table 3). This may explain why more than half (58%) used research everyday being certain that research-oriented thinking is essential in performing daily activities (67%). Overall, 66% of participants affirmed that research was relevant in life. This finding may be linked to participants belief about research usefulness. Similar observation about research relevance was reported in other studies^19,24.

In the positive attitude to research domain, 65% of participants had positive attitude to research. Participants who liked research were more than those who did not (45% versus 35%). This finding contradicts findings of a study where nursing students expressed dislike for research²⁶. More participants in this study were interested in research relative to those who were uninterested (46% versus 33%). However, only 37% of participants enjoyed doing research (Table 3). This may be because they have a negative perception about research.

Confirming the above assertion, 82%, 76%, 71% and 79% of participants perceived research to be stressful, complicated, difficult and a complex subject respectively. Additionally, more than half of participants also affirmed that conducting research made them nervous, anxious and scared (Table 4). Overall, 54% of participants in this study were anxious about research. This is consistent with findings in studies by Al Furaikh et al. (2017) and Muzzmal et al. (2018). Participants’ anxiety in this study may be linked to the difficulty in combining research data collection with preparation for their final qualifying exams. Indeed, studies have established that nursing students have mild to severe test anxiety levels, which is usually worse in females than males²⁷. Indeed, 95% of participants in this study were females. Furthermore, anxiety can make students have negative perceptions about research have passive attitude towards learning and experience difficulty with learning²⁸.

The above assertions were true for participants in the present study, as more participants had difficulty understanding research compared with those who did not (49% versus 40%). Likewise, participants who had trouble with arithmetic were more than those who did not (43 versus 40%). These could be reasons why many participants (60%) made mistakes in research (Table 4). Averagely, 43% of participants in this study had difficulty with research. This finding reflects the observation that nursing students generally do not like courses involving arithmetic. Moreover, a study confirmed that non-nursing students had more positive attitudes towards statistics compared with nursing students²⁹. The population of participants who had difficulty with research in this study is lesser than those reported in earlier studies^19,24,30. This disparity could be a result of the variation in sample characteristics. While participants in this study were enrolled in diploma nursing and midwifery programs, participants in the studies were enrolled in bachelor’s degree in nursing programs. Bachelor’s program in nursing is more research-oriented than diploma programs³¹. Hence, there is a likelihood that baccalaureate nursing students perceived research to be more difficult compared with diploma nursing students. Additionally, a study found that nursing students enrolled in bachelor’s degree program were more addicted to internet compared with their counterparts in diploma programs^32,33. This may imply that the latter group of students focus more on their studies.

When all domains are combined, 63% of participants in the present study had positive attitude towards research. Similar finding was reported about nursing students in Jordan¹⁸, Pakistan¹⁹, Saudi-Arabia²⁴^,¹⁷ and USA³⁴. The comprehensive research education given to participants in study settings could be responsible for participants’ positive attitude. On the other hand, a study in Benue State, Nigeria found that 86% of nursing and midwifery students in Nigeria had negative attitude towards research²⁰. This disparity could be due to differences in research teaching methodologies used in the institution and in the study settings. Indeed, one study found significant associations between teaching methods and attitude of students towards courses³⁵. Participants’ positive attitudes towards research will promote evidence-based practice in nursing^36,37. Having assessed the attitude of participants towards research, it is important to also examine their involvement in research activities, as this is influenced by their attitude towards research³⁸.

In our study, 58% of participants in this study read scientific research articles. This population is lesser than that reported in one study³⁹ but higher than that reported in another study¹³. The reason for this difference could be because most participants (60%) in this study had attended the viva voce of senior colleagues, which may have spurred them to read journals frequently in preparation for theirs. Moreover, learning before lecture improves students’ academic performance⁴⁰. Only 46% of participants had attended scientific meetings in the present study. This finding is similar to the finding of studies in Turkey where less than half of undergraduate nursing students participated in scientific meetings³⁴^,⁴¹. Furthermore, only 23% and 9% of participants in the present study have been co-researchers and research interns respectively. Overall, only 39% of study participants participated in research-related activities (Table 5). Similar observation was reported by Ertug and Onal (2014)⁴². The low participation of participants in research-related activities in this study may be a result of the late incorporation of dissertation defence (pre and post data collection) into research courses in the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery. Indeed, optimal learning environment which facilitates student engagement is dependent on tasks intended to guide students’ actions or thinking (environmental challenge) and resources available to students (environmental support)⁴³. In addition, participants’ low participation in research-related activities may be attributed to the fact that they are enrolled in diploma nursing and midwifery programs. Indeed, degree-prepared nurses were engaged more in scholarly activities relative to diploma-prepared nurses⁴⁴.

One of the strengths of this study is the timeliness of the research, as it is the first study to investigate the attitude of diploma nursing and midwifery students towards research in Nigeria, using a validated and reliable ‘Attitude Towards Research’ questionnaire for data collection⁴⁵, and also the first study to assess the participation of nursing and midwifery students in research-related activities. Additionally, the 5-point Likert scale used in the study eliminated the chances of forcing participants to either agree or disagree on the items, which may result in overestimation of the negative options. Notwithstanding, the study was limited by a relatively small sample which reduced its capacity for generalization.

Majority of participants had positive attitude towards research. Nonetheless, their participation in research-related activities is low. Hence, there is need for collaborative efforts of nursing lecturers, nurse educators and nurse researchers to motivate nursing students to be actively involved in research. One of the means to do this is to improve the quality of research education, as a significant relationship has been found between having previous research education and conducting research³⁹. In addition, nurse educators should teach students about the importance of nursing research using effective teaching methodologies. Indeed, studies found that structured teaching programs increased knowledge of nursing students about phenomena of interest^46,47,48. Community orientation programme can also provide nursing students with the opportunity to identify problems in the community and undertake research to address them⁴⁹. Future studies, especially those that will be undertaken in Nigeria, should assess students’ perceptions about different stages of research using a larger and more diverse sample consisting nursing students in diploma, bachelor’s and master’s programs.

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Received on 23.12.2020 Modified on 29.01.2021

Asian J. Nursing Education and Research. 2021; 11(3):375-380.

DOI: 10.52711/2349-2996.2021.00090