Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2009 Jul 10;73(4):66.
doi: 10.5688/aj730466.

Assessment of critical thinking in pharmacy students

Robert M Cisneros  1
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Assessment of critical thinking in pharmacy students

Robert M Cisneros. Am J Pharm Educ. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether changes occur over 1 academic year in pharmacy students' critical thinking skills and disposition to think critically.

Methods: First, second, third, and fourth-year pharmacy students completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) and the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) at the beginning and end of 1 academic year.

Results: One hundred thirty-seven students completed the study. No significant changes occurred over the year in total scores on either instrument. However, scores in 3 of 12 subscale scores changed significantly and several significant correlations were found.

Conclusion: Pharmacy students' scores on 2 critical thinking instruments showed no major improvements over 1 academic year but most scores were above average. Some areas of possible weakness were identified. Additional studies comparing scores over a longer period of time (eg, admission to graduation) are needed.

Keywords: California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI); California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST); assessment; critical thinking; curriculum.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Penna RP. Alexandria, VA: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; 1994. The Papers of the Commission to Implement Change in Pharmaceutical Education; p. 18.
    1. Norris SP, Ennis RH. Evaluating Critical Thinking. Pacific Grove, CA: Midwest Publications; 1989. p. 3.
    1. Kurfiss JG. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development; 1989. Critical Thinking: Theory, Research, Practice, and Possibilities. ASHE ERIC Higher Education Report No. 2; p. 2.
    1. American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. A vision of pharmacy's future roles, responsibilities, and Manpower needs in the United States. Pharmacotherapy. 2000;20(8):991–1020. - PubMed
    1. Cisneros RM, Salisbury-Glennon JD, Anderson-Harper HM. A review of problem-based learning research in pharmacy: A call for future research. Am J Pharm Educ. 2002;66(1):19–26.

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources