ArticleBMC medical education2026
Exploring contextual demands that challenge nursing students in their self-directed learning of bioscience: a comparative qualitative content analysis.
Article in BMC medical education, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNursing students often find self-directed learning in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry challenging to manage alongside busy lifestyles. To address these challenges, it is essential for nurse educators to understand the specific contextual demands that hinder students’ self-directed learning. This study aims to explore and compare contextual demands that challenge young and mature nursing students’ engagement in efficient self-directed learning in bioscience.
methodsA comparative qualitative content analysis study was conducted to explore contextual demands. Data were collected in November 2024 through written submissions from 98 nursing students. These submissions were analysed via qualitative content analysis to identify and compare patterns related to the contextual demands that challenged self-directed learning between two student groups. This approach provided a clear overview of key patterns, highlighting similarities and differences in the distribution of contextual demands challenging self-directed learning in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry.
resultsThe analysis revealed five major categories of challenges: ‘work-related conditions’, such as part-time jobs; ‘social-related conditions’, including social commitments and family responsibilities; ‘conditions related to physical activity’, where students had to balance exercise and academic demands; ‘conditions related to social media usage’, highlighting how digital distractions impacted study focus; and ‘long commutes between home and the academic institution’, which reduced the time available for learning.
conclusionsThe results emphasize the distribution of contextual demands that challenge self-directed learning in biosciences in nursing education, and highlight the need for detailed strategies to address these aspects. The results pave the way for future research and potential policy adjustments to better support nursing students in managing their academic and personal obligations.
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