Aim To explore what first-year nursing students believe to be the preferred characteristics of common foundation programme biomedical science lecturers, and to investigate whether students prefer active or passive learning.

Method Survey and interview methodologies were used to explore the attitudes of a cohort of first-year nursing students at Queen’s University Belfast. Questionnaires were distributed among 300 students. Individuals were asked to select five of a list of 14 criteria that they believed characterised the qualities of an effective lecturer. Informal interviews were carried out with five participants who were randomly selected from the sample to investigate which teaching methods were most beneficial in assisting their learning.

Results Nursing students favoured didactic teaching and found interactivity in lectures intimidating. Students preferred to learn biomedical science passively and depended heavily on their instructors.

Conclusion In response to the survey, the authors propose a set of recommendations to enhance the learning process in large classes. This guidance includes giving clear objectives and requirements to students, encouraging active participation, and sustaining student interest through the use of improved teaching aids and innovative techniques.