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Construct validity of the Health Science Reasoning Test
Karen Huhn1, Lisa Black, Gail M Jensen
1Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 65 Bergen St., Newark, NJ 07101-1709, USA. huhnka@umdnj.edu
Journal of Allied Health
|December 6, 2011
Summary
The Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) effectively differentiates critical-thinking skills between expert and novice physical therapists, confirming its construct validity for educational assessment.
Area of Science:
- Health Sciences
- Physical Therapy Education
- Educational Assessment
Background:
- Critical thinking is essential for effective physical therapy practice.
- Standardized assessment tools are needed to evaluate critical thinking skills in healthcare professionals.
- The Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) is a potential tool for measuring these skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the construct validity of the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT).
- To determine if the HSRT can discriminate between expert and novice physical therapists' critical-thinking skills.
Main Methods:
- The HSRT was administered to expert physical therapists (certified clinical specialists) and novice physical therapists (first-year students).
- Participants were recruited from two physical therapy programs.
Main Results:
- Experts achieved significantly higher total HSRT scores (mean 24.06) compared to novices (mean 22.49).
- The difference in scores was statistically significant (p = 0.008), indicating the test's ability to differentiate performance levels.
Conclusions:
- The HSRT demonstrates construct validity by successfully distinguishing between expert and novice critical-thinking abilities.
- This study provides evidence for the HSRT as a valuable tool for educators to identify student strengths and weaknesses in critical thinking.
- Targeted remediation based on HSRT results can help improve critical thinking, a vital component of clinical reasoning in physical therapy.
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