Effectiveness of Transformative Learning for Critical Thinking among Second-Year Nursing Students in Principles and Techniques of Nursing Practice

Abstract

This quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design aimed to examine the effectiveness of transformative learning for critical thinking among second-year nursing students in principles and techniques of nursing practice. Participants were second-year nursing students undergoing practical hospital training from October 2021 to May 2022. Seventy participants were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. The research tools included a transformative learning program for critical thinking using Merzirow's 10-step teaching process (Merzirow, 2000), The data collection instrument was the Critical Thinking Assessment Scale, with a Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient of 0.89. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Paired t-test.

The research findings indicated that the critical thinking scores of participants in terms of self-control in thinking were at a high level. The scores for interpretation, evaluation, and analysis were moderate. Additionally, the scores for the summary of references were at a low level. Upon comparing the mean scores of critical thinking before and after receiving the transformative learning intervention, it was found that after receiving the intervention, participants showed a statistically significant increase in average scores of critical thinking (p-value < 0.05). This suggests that the implemented transformative learning program, based on Merzirow's 10-step framework (2000), has contributed to developing thorough and analytical thinking among nursing students. Therefore, promoting transformative learning programs in higher-level nursing practice training is advisable to enhance students' confidence and effectiveness in patient care.