Critical Thinking

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the mind mapping method in enhancing critical thinking and problem-solving skills among nursing students. The study will be conducted with 65 nursing students enrolled in a "Critical Thinking in Nursing" course at Gazi University during the 2025-2026 academic year. Participants will be assigned to experimental and control groups using stratified randomization based on pre-test scores from the "Marmara Critical Thinking Tendencies Scale" and the "Problem-Solving Inventory." The five-week intervention focuses on five clinical case studies: infection control, medication administration, patient safety, ethical issues, and systematic approaches. While both groups receive the same theoretical content, they follow different practical methodologies: The Control Group will engage in standard case analysis methods. The Experimental Group will work in small teams (4-5 students) to create and present visual mind maps for each case study, using either traditional or digital tools. Following the intervention, both groups will complete post-tests to assess changes in their critical thinking and problem-solving competencies.

Study Title: Effect of Critical Thinking Disposition Program on Developing Reflective Thinking and Motivation to Learn among Nursing Students Study Description: This study aims to investigate the effect of a Critical Thinking Disposition Program on nursing students' reflective thinking and motivation to learn. In the rapidly evolving healthcare environment, nurses must possess both critical thinking skills and disposition to make accurate clinical judgments and provide high-quality professional care. Many novice nurses lack critical thinking disposition, which can result in inaccurate clinical judgments and an inability to identify causes of problems. The program will target nursing students to enhance their internal motivation to think critically, solve problems, evaluate ideas, and make informed decisions. The intervention focuses on developing cognitive strategies, attitudes, and behaviors that support self-motivated learning and professional competence. Outcomes will be measured by evaluating students' reflective thinking and motivation to learn before and after the program. Primary Outcome Measures: Improvement in reflective thinking scores Increase in motivation to learn scores Secondary Outcome Measures: Development of critical thinking disposition attributes such as truth-seeking, open-mindedness, analyticity, inquisitiveness, self-confidence, and maturity