Exploring the attributes of critical thinking: a conceptual basis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Educational Theory
• Critical Thinking

Background:

• Current nursing education methods focus on technical rationality, which inadequately prepares students for complex real-world practice.
• Existing approaches often fail to operationalize critical thinking beyond structured learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how educational theorists' perspectives can inform a more effective approach to teaching critical thinking in nursing.
• To identify key attributes of critical thinking in practice and propose educational strategies to foster them.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of foundational works by educational theorists including Freire, Schon, Argyris, Mezirow, Brookfield, and Tennyson.
• Identification of four core attributes of critical thinking in practice derived from these theoretical perspectives.

Main Results:

• Theoretical perspectives highlight the importance of reflection for achieving coherence in nursing practice.
• Four attributes of critical thinking in practice were identified, emphasizing a shift from means-end approaches.

Conclusions:

• Educators can operationalize critical thinking in nursing by adopting strategies that foster reflection and coherence.
• This approach better prepares nurses to manage the complexities inherent in clinical practice.