Critical Thinking and Intellectual Development: Changes Associated with Baccalaureate Nursing Education

Critical Thinking and Intellectual Development: Changes Associated with Baccalaureate Nursing Education

Both critical thinking and intellectual development are desirable outcomes of education. While education literature describes the faculty role of fostering critical thinking in students, there is less information on the intellectual development of college students. The longitudinal study reported here was undertaken to compare critical thinking skills and intellectual development on entry to and exit from a baccalaureate nursing program. Critical thinking skills were measured using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST). Intellectual development was measured using the Learning Environment Preferences (LEP). The entry and exit critical thinking scores are highly correlated, as are the entry and exit intellectual development scores. Scores for both critical thinking and intellectual development changed positively for RN/BSN students (those who had completed either an Associate Degree or Diploma in nursing) from program entry to program exit. Basic pre-licensure students experienced a positive change in critical thinking scores, but a negative change in intellectual development from program entry to exit.