Undergraduate nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes toward aging: comparison of context-based learning and a traditional program.

The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes toward older adults in the first and fourth years of a baccalaureate program, following the introduction of a context-based learning (CBL) curriculum, and to compare the fourth-year CBL student findings to those of fourth-year students in the final year of the traditional, lecture-based baccalaureate program. The Facts on Aging Questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, and the Aging Semantic Differential was used to assess attitudes toward aging related to societal influences. Although there were differences in knowledge and attitudes between fourth-year CBL and fourth-year traditional students, the differences were not significant. These findings support earlier work that an integrated curriculum may not significantly improve knowledge of age-related changes nor positively influence attitudes that are already positive. The Reactions to Ageing Questionnaire was used to examine students' attitudes toward personal aging. There was a significant positive increase in CBL students' attitudes toward personal aging from the first to fourth years of the program. This suggests that CBL learning fosters an inner maturity toward personal aging.