Critical thinking skills and dispositions are significantly important factors that aid in one's ability to understand and solve complex problems. Within the field of higher education, critical thinking skills and dispositions are valued and encouraged but are not always fully developed at the completion of the undergraduate degree experience.…

Alternative approaches to evaluating critical thinking skills are needed, as pencil and paper assessments may not accurately predict simulated or actual clinical performance. To ensure patient safety, it is imperative to determine how to best promote and measure critical thinking skills. Few studies have examined how these skills are related to…

Physical therapy students (n=28) completed the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) and California Critical Thinking Skills Test before and after the academic year and after clinical placements. Greatest critical thinking improvements occurred in truth-seeking, critical thinking self-confidence, and deduction. Student review…