Nursing students’ experiences using photovoice with team-based learning in pediatric nursing education

In Iran, traditional teacher-centered methods remain the dominant approach in nursing education; however, these methods are often perceived as unsatisfactory by nursing students. There is a growing need for innovative, student-centered teaching strategies to enhance learning outcomes. Photovoice, a participatory method that combines photography and reflection, has been proposed as a potential approach; however, its application in Iranian nursing education, particularly in pediatric nursing, has not yet been explored. This study employed a qualitative descriptive design supported by quantitative descriptive data and involved 36 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a pediatric nursing course at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, in 2024. The students were instructed to use Photovoice to document community-level factors influencing child health and participated in group discussions using a team-based learning approach. Data were collected through a researcher-developed questionnaire assessing motivation, engagement, understanding of child health determinants, teamwork, and critical thinking, as well as semi-structured interviews with 10 nursing students. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Over 90% of the nursing students agreed that the Photovoice combined with a team-based learning approach enhanced their motivation, active participation, teamwork, and overall learning experience. Qualitative analysis identified five main themes: (1) perceived novelty and pedagogical creativity; (2) enhanced engagement through active and experiential learning; (3) increased critical awareness of environmental factors influencing child health; (4) deeper learning through visual contextualization and peer discussion; and (5) practical challenges related to photography in public settings and group collaboration. These findings underscore the pedagogical value of Photovoice while highlighting areas that require further support. Photovoice combined with team-based learning represents a creative and effective pedagogical strategy in pediatric nursing education, fostering active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking. To ensure optimal implementation, ethics training, structured teamwork facilitation, and standardized consent procedures for photographing minors are recommended.