ABSTRACT Title: Measuring confidence in critical thinking ability and perceived self-efficacy in nursing students: The relationship Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between perceived self-efficacy and confidence in critical thinking ability in Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students. Positively perceived self-efficacy is an important determinant of the attaining of critical thinking skills. Design: A non-experimental, descriptive-correlational design was used. This work is the first to relate the disposition subscale, confidence in critical thinking ability and perceived self-efficacy. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: A conceptual framework was developed for this study. Facione’s definition of the Affective dispositions are responsible for a significant portion of critical thinking in nursing students. affective disposition of confidence in critical thinking and Bandura’s conceptual definition of self-efficacy were used. Understanding the human experience, as described by Heidegger, and Benner’s five stages of knowledge acquisition were utilized in the formation of the conceptual framework. The conceptual framework developed a circuitous process of confidence in critical thinking ability, self-efficacy, and the self-interpreting human being experience. Subjects: The subjects (N=82) were first semester nursing students in an ADN program. Method: Three instruments were used in the research. The California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI), the Generalized Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (GPSS), and a researcher designed demographic questionnaire. Results: Correlations and analysis supported a relationship between perceived self-efficacy and the subscale disposition confidence in critical thinking ability (r=0.321; p=0.003). Conclusions: The modest correlation indicates that there is a relationship between perceived self-efficacy and confidence in critical thinking ability. Improvement in the design tools for assessment of confidence in critical thinking ability is strongly recommended. From the data gathered in this study, one might conclude that perceived self-efficacy could be a general test to be included in assessing dispositions toward critical thinking.
Session #1172 - Nursing Education: Student Outcomes
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)