Abstract
M.Tech. (Radiography)
The ability to think critically is a vital skill for health care professionals in an era of rapidly advancing technology. Critical thinking skills improve problem solving ability, quality of clinical service and efficiency in delivering a clinical service. Although no specific curriculum exists within the Department of Radiography for teaching critical thinking, assessments given to students progress from the lower levels of learning, which include knowledge and understanding of information in first year, to the higher levels of learning, which include analysis, synthesis and evaluation in third year.
The status of the students’ ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills needed to be explored for the Department of Radiography to develop a more explicit curriculum to facilitate these skills. The research question that arose was: To what extent could third-year radiography students demonstrate critical thinking skills and how can the design and delivery of the new professional bachelor’s degree be adapted to make provision for and best facilitate the teaching of these skills?
The aim of this descriptive exploratory study was to determine the ability of third-year radiography students at a comprehensive university in Gauteng, South Africa, to think critically.
The study employs a descriptive exploratory design. The participants responses to vignettes (in the form of clinical scenarios) were analyzed using a Likert scale and action verbs developed for evaluating evidence of critical thinking skills, providing quantitative data. Field notes were made whilst analyzing responses to each question, providing qualitative data.