Developing Critical Thinking Skills in Pharmacy Students

Abstract

Objective. To review the importance of and barriers to critical thinking (CT) along with providing evidence-based recommendations to encouraging development of these skills in pharmacy students. Findings.Critical thinking (CT) is one of the most desired skills of a pharmacy graduate but there are many challenges to students thinking critically including their own perceptions, poor metacognitive skills, a fixed mindset, a non-automated skill set, heuristics, biases and the fact that thinking is effortful. Though difficult, developing CT skills is not impossible. Research and practice suggest several factors that improve thinking: a thoughtful learning environment; seeing or hearing what is done to executive cognitive operations that students are trying to improve; and guidance and support of their efforts until they can carry them out on their own.Summary. Teaching CT requires coordination at the curricular level and further to the more discrete level of a lesson and a course. Instructor training is imperative to this process since this intervention has been found to be the most impactful in developing CT skills.

Identifying Low Pharmaceutical Calculation Performers Using an Algebra-Based Pretest

“…There are a variety of additional factors beyond and outside of the pretest and pre-admission characteristics that influence calculations performance. Student study habits 15 , mathematical identity, 16-17, mindset, [18][19] motivation, 20 social support, 21 accountability, 22 critical thinking, 23 and metacognitive ability 24 are just a few of the possible areas to assess and create interventions that may impact calculations performance.…”

Final year M.Pharm. student views and performance in objective structured clinical examinations

“…placements. Clinical reasoning is a highly desirable skill within a pharmacy graduate but there are many challenges to enable students to think critically including their own perceptions and the fact that thinking is effortful (Persky et al, 2018). Work from the United States suggests that the critical thinking skills of students, as they progress through each year of the curriculum increases year on year by graduation (p<0.001) (Miller, 2003), and thus if the curriculum, including placements are well designed, there is a real opportunity to develop this thread during the undergraduate years.…”

“…Work from the United States suggests that the critical thinking skills of students, as they progress through each year of the curriculum increases year on year by graduation (p<0.001) (Miller, 2003), and thus if the curriculum, including placements are well designed, there is a real opportunity to develop this thread during the undergraduate years. Research and practice suggest several factors that can improve critical thinking and problem solving: a thoughtful learning environment; seeing or hearing what is done to executive cognitive operations that students are trying to improve; and guidance and support of their efforts until they can carry them out on their own (Persky et al, 2018). The authors are now focussing on how problem solving and decision making can be incorporated more into the placements that their students undertake and how to up-skill those being observed in the workplace to overtly role-model these skills in the practice environment.…”

Profile of Junior High School Students' Critical Thinking Skills in Answering Questions Related to Biological Concepts

“…The challenge becomes even more difficult because, for most students, efforts to improve CTS are not only an obstacle but can be intimidating to overwhelming (Crowley, 2015). Poor metacognitive skills, fixed mindset, various skills that cannot develop automatically, and students' assumption that thinking is a laborious activity are some of the barrier factors for students to develop their CTS (Persky, Medina, & Castleberry, 2018). The challenge will be even greater if the concepts taught are considered difficult by most students.…”