AN EXAMINATION OF THE DISPOSITION TOWARD CRITICAL THINKING AND CRITICAL THINKING ABILITY OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE AND BACCALAUREATE NURSING STUDENTS AND NURSING FACULTY.
Contributors: Temple University.
Published: 1996
Number of pages: 161
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.; Psychology, Cognitive.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the disposition toward critical thinking and critical thinking ability in associate degree and baccalaureate nursing students and nursing faculty to determine if student and faculty groups differ in the outcomes of these variables. The relationship of dispositions toward critical thinking and critical thinking ability was also explored in the respective groups.

Dispositions toward critical thinking were measured using the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) and critical thinking ability was measured by the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). The CCTDI instrument used a Likert-type scale and the CCTST was a standardized multiple choice test.

The sample consisted of 123 volunteers out of a possible 205 (n = 165 students and n = 40 faculty). Ninety-three students and 30 nursing faculty in a large urban health science university in the northeast region of the country participated. T-tests revealed statistically significant differences in dispositions toward critical thinking and critical thinking ability between students and faculty, but not between associate degree students and baccalaureate students. Pearson's r correlation coefficients were nonsignificant when analyzing the relationship between dispositions toward critical thinking and critical thinking ability.

An analysis of variance showed that dispositions toward critical thinking and critical thinking ability were significant based on nursing group classification. The results of the Tukey HSD test indicated that nursing faculty scored significantly higher (p $\le$.05) for overall CCTST score than either the associate degree or baccalaureate nursing groups. Yet, for overall CCTDI score, nursing faculty scored significantly higher than the associate degree group (p $\le$.05), but not higher than the baccalaureate group.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-05, Section: B, page: 3130.

Thesis (PH.D.)--TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, 1996.

School code: 0225.