Effect of Six Hats Thinking Technique on Development of Critical Thinking Disposition and Problem Solving Skills of Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Six Thinking hats is a time-tested, proven, and practical thinking tool that acts as a role-playing model. It is as a team-based problem solving and brain storming technique that can be used to explore problems and solutions and uncover ideas and options that overlooked by a homogeneously thinking group. On the same line, it separates the components of thinking in order to do them properly as there is no one brain ideal for all types of thinking. Also, it provides a framework to help people think clearly and thoroughly and directs thinking attention in one direction at a time. Edward de Bono identified 6 types of one-dimensional personalities or Thinking Hats, while the average person will often imbue qualities from several of these 6 types. Participants put on hats in turn to indicate directions of thinking, possibly more than once but not necessarily all of them, the color of each is related to a function. Method: exploratory descriptive design was used with two tools used in data collection" California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory" and "Six Hats problem solving Application questionnaire". Results: There were statistical significant differences between both groups of students in relation to critical thinking disposition and problem solving skills in post assessment phase in the favor of study group (p < .001). Conclusion: In the current study, the six hats technique was used in training of nurse students to improve their critical thinking disposition and the skills of problem solving, which facilitates productive critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and enables each person's unique point of view to be considered in problem solving