Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2026

Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
The impact of the use of inquiry-based learning as a teaching methodology on the development of critical thinking
L Magnussen1, D Ishida, J Itano
1University of Hawaii School of Nursing, Honolulu 96822, USA.
Abstract:
Problem-based learning (PBL) uses patients' problems to develop students' problem-solving and clinical skills. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) was developed as a similar methodology that was more holistic and flexible. This study sought to determine if inquiry-based learning (IBL) enhances critical-thinking ability as measured by the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). The WGCTA was administered to 228 nursing students in the first semester and 257 students in the final semester of their program. When the scores were stratified into groups, the students in the low group showed a significant increase in mean score, no change in the medium group, and a significant drop for the high group.
Related Concept Videos
Critical Thinking
Colleges and universities are...
Critical Thinking II
Critical Thinking I
Patient-centered Care
Cognitive Learning
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
Metacognition