Guided design: evaluation of a model for teaching nursing research.

Evaluation of strategies for teaching research is a major priority in nursing education. This quasi-experimental evaluation of the Guided Design model for teaching nursing research showed highly significant (p less than or equal to .0001) improvements in knowledge of research and attitudes toward research among three classes of graduate nursing students. In this model, a hypothetical professional, created by the instructor, guides students through the development of a research proposal to address a problem in a reality-based clinical situation. The instructor structures the class so that at each research step, students receive instructions, apply new learning to closed problems, and then engage in group decision-making, regarding the appropriate research step in their proposal; upon completion of each step, they receive feedback regarding the hypothetical professional's decisions. The consistent improvement in our students' research performance and attitudes suggests that Guided Design is a useful model for teaching nursing research.