Analysis of the social interaction of perceived problem‐based learning performance in internship courses.

Background: This study aims to integrate the theories of social presence and social identity to examine the effectiveness of group‐based problem‐based learning (PBL) in learning communities. Social presence is a critical factor in determining the success of collaborative learning in group‐based PBL activities. Although several studies have investigated the effects of using self‐directed and collaborative learning, they present weak evidence within those studies to explain the impact of social interaction on perceived PBL performance in nursing internship programs. Objectives: This study develops a second‐order formative model to examine the relationship between social presence, trust, social identification and students' perceived PBL performance. Methods: The partial least squares technique is used to analyse data from 409 nursing interns who studied at seven medical universities or nursing colleges. Results and Conclusions: The results indicate that all hypotheses are supported, which is an underaddressed topic in the nursing internship education literature. Notably, the findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the interns' perceived PBL performance during the internship. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic?: Previous studies have confirmed that social presence significantly affects learning performance.In learning communities, social interaction depends on the development of trust networks. What this paper adds?: This study reveals that students' perceived problem‐based learning (PBL) performance can be measured by the four primary of independent study, group interaction, reasoning skills and active participation. Accordingly, social presence, social identification and trust can significantly influence these four dimensions of learning performance.The social interaction in community‐based PBL contexts was observed, and it is found that students' level of social presence have a positive influence on their social identification, trust and perceived PBL performance. The implications of study findings for practitioners: The interpersonal interaction among students in the online PBL communities improves the students' understanding of PBL processes and enhances their learning outcomes in nursing internship programs.The findings of this study can effectively guide educators and instructors to develop effective approaches to organize and manage PBL‐based nursing internship programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]