Effectiveness of teaching strategies on the development of critical thinking in undergraduate nursing students: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Effectiveness of teaching strategies on the development of critical thinking in undergraduate nursing students: a meta-analysis To evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies used for development of critical thinking (CT) in undergraduate nursing students. Method: Systematic review with meta-analysis based on the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Searches were conducted in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, LILACS, Cochrane CENTRAL, PsycINFO, ERIC, and a database of theses from four continents. The initial selection and evaluation of studies and assessment of methodological quality was performed by two reviewers independently. Results: Twelve randomized clinical trials were included in the study. In the metaanalysis of the four studies included that evaluated the strategy of problem-based learning (PBL), compared to lectures, the effectiveness of PBL was demonstrated with statistical significance (SMD = 0.21 and 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.42; p = 0.0434) for the development of CT in undergraduate nursing students, and the studies were homogeneous (chisquare = 6.10, p = 0.106). Conclusion: The effectiveness of PBL was demonstrated in the increase of overall CT scores. Further studies need to be conducted in order to develop, implement and evaluate teaching strategies that are guided in high methodological rigor, and supported in theoretical models of teaching and learning.

Ensino Das Habilidades Do Pensamento Crítico Por Meio De Problem Based Learning

“…9,13,21 Similar to the findings of this research, a qualitative study 25 conducted in Indonesia divided a group of 73 students into two groups: one applied PBL and the other, applied the PBL to research group (GI). In the latter, students were encouraged to plan, make and display the stages of learning.…”

“…5,22 Therefore, it is necessary for the professional or nursing students to seek the improvement of the cognitive and affective aspects of CT in a careful, rational, active and constant manner, and become good critical thinkers in the performance of their activities. 9,20 When possible this search should be mediated by practice, so that internalization occurs in a process of reconstitution and reconstruction of what is desired, as in the case of this study, in order to develop CT in a BLS course. Such a conception is based on the historical-cultural theory, which says that thought formation, concepts, cognition and affection are developed in the internalization of theoretical content through practical activities.…”

“…9,11 There was the understanding that CT is a thought for purpose of evaluating, analyzing, and correctly judging a case or situation.…”

“…[5][6][7][8] In nursing and health care, CT represents a fundamental competence in academic and professional actions, in order to link clinical reasoning and effective and secure decision making. 5,9 For this to occur, there is a need for persistent and organized effort in order to judge clinical situations based on the best evidence, based on the skills of CT. 5 The stimulus for CT in nursing education is fundamental, considering that there is a tendency to focus on the application of taxonomies, to the detriment of the nexus with the clinical context and the patient's specific needs. 10 Therefore, using appropriate methodological strategies that stimulate the skills of CT become a challenge to the teaching practice.…”

“…14 However, it should be emphasized that forms of assimilation and learning are influenced by cultural factors, and validation or refutation of findings of foreign research through replication in other countries should occur. 15 The national and international literature 9,[11][12][13][14] has positively highlighted PBL as a methodology for mobilizing CT skills, however, there is still little intervention-type research that replicates or evaluates CT skills in nursing students in Brazil. 9 In view of this finding, the present study aims to comparatively analyze the perceptions of students from two class groups regarding the implicit teaching of critical thinking in a BLS course.…”