Development and validation of the critical thinking disposition inventory for Chinese medical college students (CTDI-M)

Abstract

Background This study aimed to develop and conduct psychometric testing of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory to measure the critical thinking disposition of Chinese medical college students. Methods The study was conducted in two stages: (a) item generation, reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and (b) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and testing of psychometric properties (Cronbach’ s alpha, test-retest reliability and convergent validity). The subjects included 1035 Chinese medical college students. The test-retest reliability of the instrument was determined at a two-week interval ( n = 61). A general linear regression model was developed to examine the predictive effects of gender, age and major on CT disposition. The data were analysed with SPSS 22.0 and Amos 21.0 during item development and the reliability and validity analyses. Vista was utilized for parallel analysis during the principal axis analysis. Results Eighteen final items were sorted into 3 factors, which were identified as “ Open-mindedness ”, “ Systematicity/Analyticity ” and “ Truth-seeking ”, with cumulative variance of 41.37, 46.00 and 49.59%, respectively. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.924, and the factors’ alphas ranged from 0.824 to 0.862. The correlational analysis indicated significant correlations between the subscales of the CTDI-CM and the total scores of the CTDI-CV, indicating modest evidence for the convergent validity of the CTDI-CM. Gender, age and education significantly predicted the CT disposition of Chinese medical students. Open-mindedness and Systematicity/Analyticity were higher for medical students than for nursing students. Conclusions This study presents a reliable and valid instrument for clinical thinking disposition. Future studies should explore other predictive factors of CT dispositions (e.g., cognitive/motivational) and criterion validity.

Level of Critical Thinking Ability Among Nursing Students

“…The low scores were consistent with findings by Kim & Choi (2014) and Hussein Ibrahim (2016), where objectivity score was 2.68±0.64 and 33.2±0.4 respectively due to reluctance to re-assess new knowledge. The truth-seeking result is consistent with Wang et al, (2018) where low scores (3.73±0.57) were also reported as compared with medical students. It was said to be related to individual confidence level.…”

Validity and Reliability of Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory

“…Studies on developing critical thinking disposition instruments have been carried out by several researchers [16,17,18]. Hwang et al developed scales of critical thinking dispositions [16].…”

“…The results of the validity and reliability analysis showed that this inventory was valid and reliable to measure the students' critical thinking dispositions. On the other hand, Wang et al [18] have developed and validated an inventory of critical thinking dispositions for medical students in China. They found three subscales of critical thinking dispositions based on explanatory factor analysis, namely open-mindedness, systematicity/analyticity, and truth-seeking.…”

Psychometric Properties of the Critical Thinking Disposition Assessment Test Amongst Medical Students in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Few students analyze and use critical thinking when they acquire knowledge during their education [6]. Therefore, critical thinking skills are increasingly necessary for medical students and professionals [7].…”

“…A disposition to critical thinking is essential for professional clinical judgement [17]. An assessment of critical thinking disposition (CTD) in professional judgment circumstances and educational contexts can establish benchmarks to advance critical thinking through training programs [7]. To investigate and assess critical thinking in medical students, a reliable and valid tool is indispensable.…”