Abstract
D.Tech. (Radiography)
Critical thinking entails higher-order thinking and requires the skills of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, problem-solving and justification. As graduates, radiography students are required to display critical thinking skills in the clinical environment, and this is closely linked to clinical reasoning. Poor critical thinking leads to poor clinical reasoning and therefore impacts the outcome and care of the patient. Being a critical thinker will allow radiography students to make decisions with sound reasoning while reflecting on evidence regarding the situation at hand. Critical thinking skills enable students to ask clinically relevant questions, know where to search for knowledge, recognise where and how to search for evidence, and critically assess what is found. In a South African context, poor critical thinking ability was demonstrated by third-year national diploma radiography students who were unable to display critical thinking skills in clinical scenario-based vignettes. Although critical thinking has been defined, taught and assessed in allied healthcare disciplines, a gap exists within a radiography context. Currently, a model to facilitate radiography students’ critical thinking skills does not exist. The question that was asked is “How can critical thinking skills of radiography students be facilitated?”. The research purpose was to develop, describe, implement and evaluate a model as a framework of reference for radiography educators to facilitate radiography students’ critical thinking skills. A theory-generating, qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was followed in this study. By focusing on the identification and interpretation of critical thinking concepts within radiography, relationship statements were constructed, and a conceptual framework was created to assist in the development of a model for the facilitation of radiography students’ critical thinking skills. The study was conducted using four steps. During step one, concepts were identified from the results of a master’s study previously conducted by the researcher. Relationships between the identified concepts were described in step two. Step three included the description and evaluation of the model as a framework of reference to facilitate radiography students’ critical thinking skills. During the final step of the study, the model was implemented and evaluated. vii Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, neutrality and authenticity. Ethical considerations of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice were also taken into account. This study contributed significantly toward a much-needed model as a framework of reference to facilitate radiography students’ critical thinking skills.