Development of a Learning Needs Assessment Tool for Clinical Instructors:

To Offer Continuing Education Programs Reflecting Their Learning Needs

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a Learning Needs Assessment Tool for Clinical Instructors, which has well-estab-lished reliability and validity.

Methods: There were three stages in developing the scale: (a) Making items for the scale based on qualitative and inductive research findings. (b) Examining the content validity with a panel of experts and a pilot study. (c) Conducting two surveys and testing the reliability and validity of the scale.

Results: A Learning Needs Assessment Tool for Clinical Instructors (LNATI), which had 21 items with a 6-point Likert scale, was constructed using the afore-mentioned three stages. In the 1st survey, the instrument packets, including the LNATI and a demographic questionnaire, were distributed to 1,309 clinical instructors who work at hospitals all over Japan. Seven hundred and fifty three clinical instructors (57.5%) responded, and 698 valid data were analyzed. Cronbach's alpha, a reliability coeffi- cient of the LNATI, was 0.922. The result signifies that the LNATI has high internal consistency. Aspir-ing clinical instructors had higher learning needs than undermotivated instructors (t = –4.098, p<0.001). Clinical instructors who encounter the problems when teaching students had higher learning needs than instructors who do not (t = 2.278, p<0.05). The results indicate that the LNATI has construct validity by the known-group method. In the 2nd survey, the instrument packets were distributed to 27 clinical instructors selected conveniently for examining stability. Test-retest reliability was 0.753 (p<0.001). The result of shows that the LNATI has stability.

Conclusion: The reliability and validity of LNATI was generally ascertained and the LNATI can meas-ure learning needs of clinical instructors to offer continuing education reflecting their learning needs.