Transcript Critical Thinking Disposition and the achievement of

Critical Thinking Disposition
and the achievement of critical thinking
outcomes in SCPHN education
An assessment and exploration of Critical Thinking
Disposition (CTD) of Specialist Community Public
Health Nursing Students on a Distance Learning
Programme
Funding Source
Higher Education Academy for Health Sciences
Definition of Critical Thinking
APA Delphi Study 1990
“..purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which
results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation,
and inference, as well as explanation of
evidential, conceptual, methodological,
criteriological, or contextual considerations
upon which that judgment is based…”
The Ideal Critical Thinker
APA Delphi Study 1990
“The Ideal Critical Thinker is habitually inquisitive,
well-informed, and trustful of reason. Open-minded,
flexible, fair-minded in evaluation, honest in facing
personal biases, prudent in making judgments,
willing to reconsider, clear about issues, orderly in
complex matters, diligent in seeking relevant
information, reasonable in the selection of criteria,
focused in enquiry, and persistent in seeking results
which are as precise as the subject and
circumstances of inquiry permit.”
Critical Thinking
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CT Disposition : “the attitudinal basis for the
internal motivation to think critically”
CT Skills - interpretation, analysis, explanation,
evaluation, inference and metacognition
Why focus on disposition ? (John Dewey)
Different conceptualisations e.g. Tishman &
Andrade, Perkins, Paul & Elder, Facione et al
Important in learning
CT skills & dispositions synergistic
Facione’s conceptualisation of CTD – APA basis &
tools
Definitions of CTD Elements
(Facione 2004)
Truthseeking
 Intellectual honesty – the desire for best
knowledge, the inclination to ask challenging
questions and to follow reason and
evidence…even if it fails to support or undermines
existing knowledge/beliefs and interests
Open-mindedness
 Tolerance for new ideas and divergent views, selfmonitoring for biases
Definitions of CTD Elements
(Facione 2004)
Systematicity
 Inclination towards & valuing of being organised
e.g. ability to focus and stay focused, diligence
in approaching problems
Critical Thinking Self-confidence
 Trust in one’s own reasoning abilities and
capacity to guide others in decision making
Definitions of CTD Elements
(Facione 2004)
Analyticity
 Anticipation of and/or alertness to actual or
potential problems /consequences – being
aware of when there is a need to use reason
and evidence to solve problems & demanding its
application
Inquisitiveness
 Intellectual curiosity, eagerness & willingness to
learn things even when the immediate
application of these things is not obvious
Definitions of CTD Elements
(Facione 2004)
Cognitive Maturity
 Capacity to make, suspend, or revise
judgements that enable the complexity of
problems to be appreciated and to make
decisions carefully and cautiously. Awareness of
possibility of multiple solutions and need to
sometimes reach conclusions in absence of
complete knowledge.
Research Questions
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Are SCPHN students disposed towards critical
thinking?
What are SCPHN students’ views on CTD
testing?
What do students think the determinants of
Critical Thinking Disposition are?
How do students think their CTD can be
developed?
Approach & Methods
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Mixed method: 2 phase sequential explanatory
design
Survey = California Critical Thinking Disposition
Inventory (CCTDI) on-line
Population & sample = 151 students (OHN & HV)
on a distance learning programme
Qualitative exploration using interviews with a
convenience sample of 4 respondents (all female).
Quantitative Data Collection
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CCTDI - 75 item agree-disagree 6 point likert scale
Total scores 0-420; sub-scales scores of 0-60
Validity & reliability (CA = 0.89)
=/> 280 is +ve disposition, 210-279 = ambivalence
towards CTD, <210 indicates a -ve disposition
Sub-scales scores of =/>50 strongly +ve; =/>40 are
positive; 31-39 are ambivalent; =/<30 are weak
Positive overall disposition requires scores of
>/=40 in all sub-scales
Pre-warning & electronic invitation CCTDI (on-line)
through insight assessment.com
Quantitative Findings (N=56)
Limitations – response rate & possible biases
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Mean Age 39.5; 25% with first degree; 48% <3
modules; 98%> 5 years post-reg.
Mean Total CTD Score 289.9
Total scores negatively skewed & wide range (207350)
Sub-scales: Mean sub-scale scores for truth
seeking & systematicity ambivalent (<40 but >30);
widest score ranges in systematicity, CT selfconfidence, cognitive maturity, & truth seeking
TS mean > than Facione’s for all years but not
returning licensed nurses (RLN)
All others (total & sub-scales scores) < Facione’s
for all years & RLN (312.8 n=333)
Qualitative Findings
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Students found testing interesting & valuable for
CT orientation
Life experiences, home environment, cultural
background, gender, professional socialization,
work culture, personality and confidence were
identified as CTD determinants
Higher education experience was seen to
promote CTD by supporting questioning and
developing confidence to question
CTD depends on learning environments and
relationships that support dialogue and
questioning
Organisation disposition (systematicity) was
linked to organisation skills & learning autonomy
Qualitative Findings
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Research appraisal skills were seen to be a
positive determinant of CTD
Participants related organisation disposition
(systematicity) to organisation skills and learning
autonomy - they saw the need for a balance
between course structure & flexibility
Distance learning students value opportunities
for face to face dialogue
Conclusions
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Some SCPHN students are ambivalent or
negatively disposed towards CT
Not all students live and/or work in cultures
and/or have relationships that support CTD
Higher education can develop CTD by providing
questioning opportunities & developing
confidence to question theory & practice
Learning environments and relationships must
be supportive of dialogue and questioning
Conclusions
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Research appraisal skills may enhance CTD
CTD testing with follow on dialogue may support
development
Distance learning may be challenging for
students with deficits in systematicity
Promoting systematicity requires a balance
between course structure & flexibility
Having to develop organisation skills promotes
systematicity
CTD development depends on internal
motivation based on a belief that development is
possible
Recommendations
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CTD testing with follow on dialogue may
support CTD development
Sociological & psychological determinants of
CTD should be explored with students and
educators
Dispositional strengths could be used to
address deficits - truth-seeking & systematicity
may be deficits in SCPHN students
Research appraisal skills may help address
deficits in truth-seeking & systematicity
Recommendations
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Learning autonomy may develop systematicity
& organization skills
Blended (face to face & on-line delivery) may
develop CTD better than fully on-line delivery
Feedback & development should address both
skills & dispositions in tandem
Differentiated support in academic and
practice learning may be required to support
CTD development
Students with negative CTD scores may need
development before SCPHN education
Data Collection
Quantitative
 CCTDI - Established face, content, & construct
validity & reliability, some issues re reliability of some
sub-scales
 Correlates with ego-resilience (r=0.58) & openness to
experience (r=0.37) p= 0.001 N=198 (Facione et al
1997)
 Used extensively in nurse education & other HE
studies
Qualitative
 Semi-structured interviews on test experience;
factors perceived to affect CTD and its development
Critical Thinking in Nursing
Emphasis on Disposition & Application in Practice
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An essential component of professional
accountability and quality nursing care. Critical
thinkers in nursing exhibit these habits of mind:
confidence, contextual perspective, creativity,
flexibility, inquisitiveness, intellectual integrity,
intuition, open-mindedness, perseverance, and
reflection.”
Scheffer and Rubenfeld (2000)
Summary of Literature Review
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CT essential in clinical judgements & critical
reflection
Reflective critical thinking important in education
for public health (nursing) – assessment of
need, design of interventions & evaluation
For CT both dispositions and skills matter synergistic - lack of CTD limits CT skills
development
CTD variation within student & practising nurse
populations
Limitations in truth seeking common
Evidence of linkage between CTD and research
utilisation
Summary of Literature Review
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Socio-cultural and political factors as
determinants of CT
Limitation in knowledge of CT skills & CTD in
nursing populations due to
definition and measurement debates (applied
CT or theoretical CT)
validity & reliability of measurement tools
small studies with convenience samples
lack of longitudinal studies
Summary of Literature Review
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Evidence largely derived from pre-registration
nursing students in the North America e.g.
Facione et al’s (1997) meta-study (CCTDI &
CCTST)
Ambivalent truth seeking scores in nursing
students
Pre-post group (n=171) significant (0.05) gains
in total CTD, truth-seeking, analyticity & critical
thinking self-confidence
Impact of education on licensed nurses returning
to study - CTD diminished (312.8 – 309.3)
Lack of CTD evidence to inform UK postregistration nurse education, including DL SCPH
nurse education