The Effect of Concept Mapping on Critical Thinking of Jordanian Nursing Students

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of concept maps in improving the critical thinking of nursing students. This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pretest-posttest design among two groups of a total of 115 nursing students. Participants were either exposed to concept mapping sessions or taught with traditional lecturing; the assessment tool was a test of critical thinking completed before and after the intervention. The mean scores for critical thinking were higher in the group that engaged in mapping sessions compared to the traditional lecture group. This study supports the usefulness of concept maps as a teaching strategy to promote development of nursing students' critical thinking abilities. These findings could provide valuable evidence for establishing concept mapping as a promising teaching strategy for nursing students.