Effects of BOPPPS combined with TBL in surgical nursing for nursing undergraduates: a mixed-method study

BACKGROUND: Surgical Nursing is a core subject for nursing undergraduates that requires active and effective learning strategies to cultivate students’ autonomous learning competencies and critical thinking. The effects of BOPPPS (Bridge-in, Objectives, Pretest, Participatory Learning, Post-test and Summary) model combined with team-based learning (TBL) have rarely been explored in Surgical Nursing courses. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of BOPPPS combined with TBL in Surgical Nursing for nursing undergraduates. METHODS: A mixed research method of quasi-experimental study design and descriptive qualitative research was used. The control group included 27 nursing undergraduates who had finished the Surgical Nursing course using traditional learning. The experimental group included 36 nursing undergraduates were enrolled in to receive the Surgical Nursing course in the teaching mode of BOPPPS combined with TBL. The quantitative data of students’ Surgical Nursing final scores, autonomous learning competencies and critical thinking ability of the two groups were collected and compared by t-test. Qualitative results were obtained through semi-structured interviews and data were analyzed by thematic analysis method. RESULTS: Compared with the traditional learning mode, BOPPPS combined with TBL significantly improved nursing students’ final examination scores, autonomous learning competencies and critical thinking ability (p < 0.05). Qualitative results from 14 undergraduate nursing students’ interviews were summarized into five themes: (1) stimulating learning interest; (2) improving autonomous learning ability; (3) improving the sense of teamwork; (4) exercising critical thinking; and (5) suggestions for improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of BOPPPS and TBL positively impacted nursing students by improving their autonomous learning competencies and critical thinking ability. The study suggests BOPPPS combined with TBL learning as an effective, alternative learning mode. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-023-01281-1.