Effect of a Situational Module Learning Course on Critical Thinking Disposition and Metacognition in Nursing Students: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effect of a situational module learning course on critical thinking disposition and metacognition in sophomore nursing students. Methods: This study was a non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design; the participants included 64 nursing students (32 in the experimental and 32 in the control group) from two Korean universities. Critical thinking disposition and metacognition between the control and intervention groups were measured before and after program participation. Data collection was conducted between September 1 and December 15, 2016. An independent t-test was used to determine differences in critical thinking disposition and metacognition between the groups and Pearson's correlations were measured for correlation with critical thinking disposition and metacognition. Results: The intervention group showed higher critical thinking disposition (t=3.16, p=.002); intellectual integrity (t=2.85, p=.006); and open-mindedness (t=3.30, p=.002) relative to those of the control group. However, there were no statistical differences in metacognition between the two groups (t=-0.14, p=.888). A significant positive correlation between metacognition and critical thinking disposition was found. (r=.62, p<.001). Conclusion: The situational module learning course developed in this study could be used to promote critical thinking disposition in nursing students.