Critical thinking in nursing students from two Brazilian regions

To analyze the overall critical thinking and the development of each of the cognitive skills or attributes that compose it in students of the undergraduate program in nursing through the creation of concept maps in two Brazilian teaching institutions.

Method:

Before-and-after experimental study, randomized, performed in two universities of two Brazilian regions, with a sample of 21 subjects at the A school and 56 at the B school. Data were collected through sociodemographic questionnaire and the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Intervention consisted in the creation of four concept maps.

Results:

Scores measured for overall critical thinking do not differed between the groups of both schools; however, positive aspects among them were found for skills of evaluation, induction, and inference.

Conclusion:

We perceived validity as a facilitating teaching strategy of the use of concept maps in several aspects.

Descriptors:
Thinking; Nursing; Learning; Educational Technology; Health Care to Prolong Life

Groups	School A (n=21)		School B (n=56)
Groups	CG (n=12)	EG (n=09)	CG (n=26)	EG (n=30)
Overall CT pretest	14.8 (3.0)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	15.1 (4.5)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	15 (3.6)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	13.7 (3.4)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;
Overall CT post-test	13.9 (3.3)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	14.5 (4.6)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	14.8 (4.1)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;	14 (2.9)^* * Variable presented by average and standard deviation;
t-test	1.143(0.277)^ Result of the t-test considering p-value = 0.05;	0.588(0.573)^ Result of the t-test considering p-value = 0.05;	0.285(0.778)^ Result of the t-test considering p-value = 0.05;	0.395(0.696)^ Result of the t-test considering p-value = 0.05;
Analysis
Pretest	5.0 (1.4)	4.3 (1.2)	4.38 (1.1)	4.3 (1.1)
Post-test	4.75 (1.4)	3.8 (1.3)	4.1 (1.1)	4.1 (1.9)
t-test(p)^* ***** Student's t-test for paired samples and 95% significance level; CG - control group; EG - experimental group; CT- critical thinking.	0.422 (0.681)	0.839 (0.426)	0.622 (0.539)	1.186 (0.245)
Evaluation
Pretest	4.5 (1.8)	5.5 (2.6)	5.6 (1.9)	4.8 (1.8)
Post-test	4.7 (1.4)	5.8 (2.2)	5.6 (2.2)	5.4 (1.5)
t-test(p)	0.540 (0.600)	0.894 (0.397)	0.166 (0.870)	2.192 (0.037)
Inference
Pretest	4.5 (1.7)	5.2 (2.2)	4.9 (1.8)	4.4 (1.8)
Post-test	4.4 (1.5)	3.8 (1.3)	5.1 (2.1)	4.3 (1.7)
t-test(p)	0.123 (0.905)	2.309 (0.05)	0.485 (0.632)	0.491 (0.627)
Induction
Pretest	6.3 (1.3)	6.5 (2.5)	6.3 (2.3)	5.4 (1.8)
Post-test	5.6 (1.6)	6.6 (1.9)	5.7 (2.1)	5.5 (1.9)
t-test(p)	2.345 (0.139)	1.070 (0.734)	1.341 (0.192)	0.313 (0.756)
Deduction
Pretest	6.4 (1.9)	7.1 (2.3)	7.1 (2.0)	6.8 (2.2)
Post-test	6.6 (1.8)	6.6 (2.6)	7.6 (2.2)	7.0 (2.1)
t-test(p)	0.414 (0.687)	0.627 (0.548)	1.148 (0.262)	0.360 (0.722)

Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem SGA Norte Quadra 603 Conj. "B" - Av. L2 Norte 70830-102 Brasília, DF, Brasil, Tel.: (55 61) 3226-0653, Fax: (55 61) 3225-4473 - Brasília - DF - Brazil
E-mail: reben@abennacional.org.br

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[1] Corresponding Author: Diana Paula de Souza Rego Pinto Carvalho E-mail: diana-rego@hotmail.com