How adult are our learners? A cross sectional exploration of the learning characteristics of nursing students in a United Kingdom University

A quantitative research project was undertaken to investigate the learning characteristics of a cohort of nursing students, using Malcolm Knowles’ module of learning. The research findings did not conform to the module. There was no evidence that students gained more of the characteristics of andragogy as they progressed through their studies. Instead there was some evidence that students become less willing to take responsibility for their learning. This is of concern to all involved in health education.