Investigating the Correlation Between Pharmacy Student Performance on the Health Science Reasoning Test and a
Adwoa O Nornoo1, Jonathan Jackson1, Samantha Axtell1
1Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, Florida.
American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
|April 7, 2017
Summary
A package insert assignment showed a weak but significant correlation with pharmacy students' critical thinking skills, as measured by the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT). This suggests its potential use in assessing these essential skills.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Education
- Health Sciences
- Critical Thinking Assessment
Background:
- Pharmacy education emphasizes critical thinking development.
- Assessing critical thinking skills in pharmacy students is crucial for patient safety and effective practice.
- Standardized tests and specific assignments are methods used to evaluate these skills.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between scores on the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) and performance on a package insert assignment.
- To determine if a package insert assignment can serve as a valid tool for measuring critical thinking in pharmacy students.
- To explore the relationship between general critical thinking ability and performance on a task requiring analytical skills.
Main Methods:
- First-year pharmacy students completed the Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) during a critical thinking course.
- Students also completed a mandatory package insert assignment in a pharmacokinetics course.
- A Spearman's rho correlation test was employed to analyze the relationship between HSRT scores and assignment grades.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant, albeit very weak, positive correlation was observed between assignment grades and overall HSRT scores (r=0.19, p<0.05).
- A similar weak positive correlation was found between assignment grades and the HSRT's deduction scale score (r=0.26, p<0.01).
- These findings indicate a slight association between general critical thinking ability and performance on the specific assignment.
Conclusions:
- The study suggests that a package insert assignment has the potential to be a component in assessing pharmacy students' critical thinking skills.
- While the correlation was weak, it was statistically significant, supporting the assignment's utility.
- Further research could explore refining package insert assignments to enhance their validity as critical thinking assessment tools.
Keywords:
Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT)critical thinkingdeductionpackage insertpharmacokineticsMore Related Videos
07:31A Computerized Functional Skills Assessment and Training Program Targeting Technology Based Everyday Functional Skills
Published on: February 13, 2020
10:26Problem-Solving Before Instruction (PS-I): A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
Related Concept Videos
02:20Correlations
Correlation means that there is a relationship between two or more variables (such as ice cream consumption and crime), but this relationship does not necessarily imply cause and effect. When two variables are correlated, it simply means that as one variable changes, so does the other. We can measure correlation by calculating a statistic known as a correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient is a number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between...
01:13Patient-centered Care
Patient-centered care involves delivering care beyond inpatient hospitalization. Reflective practice can enhance a patient-centered approach. Reflective practice is a process of reasoning that considers all aspects of the present situation, including practicalities, learning from personal practice, and consideration of patient needs. Patients appreciate care decisions made while considering their input. Involving the patient in their care provides the patient with a sense of contribution rather...
01:24Critical Thinking I
Critical thinking helps decision-making and allows nurses to recognize barriers to success and find solutions to possible issues. It helps to brainstorm and implement ideas to achieve goals. Critical thinking helps acknowledge and state workflow inefficiencies while improving management techniques. Nurses understand the value of critical thinking and look for fellow nurses with critical thinking skills to upgrade their professional standards. Critical thinking can advance a nurse's career with...
01:25Critical Thinking II
Critical thinking is a cognitive process with several attributes. The attributes of critical thinking include the following:
01:30Reasoning
Reasoning is the action of thinking about something in a logical, sensible way. It is integral to problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking. Reasoning can be inductive or deductive. Reasoning involves transforming information into conclusions, which is essential for problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking.
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
Inductive reasoning involves deriving generalizations from specific observations. This type of reasoning helps form beliefs about the world. For example,...
01:19Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...
Colleges and universities are...