Effects of Critical Thinking and Communication Skills on the Problem-Solving Ability of Dental Hygiene Students

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effects of critical thinking and good communication skills on the problem-solving abilities of dental hygiene students. Methods: A total of 508 dental hygiene students were convenience-sampled from 3 universities. Results: The results revealed that critical thinking had the highest intellectual fairness score of 3.60, and systematicity was the lowest at 3.19. The values for communication skills were high in reaction, social adequacy, and concentration, with an average of 3.65. Problem-solving abilities were in the following order: clarification of the problem, seeking solutions, and decision making. According to general characteristics, more extroverted personalities possessed higher levels of critical thinking, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities (p＜0.01). Critical thinking scores were high (p=0.016) in students who responded that peer relationship was difficult; however, their communication skills were the lowest (p＜0.001). Additionally, problem-solving abilities were highest among students who reported a difficult peer relationship (p=0.001). The higher the satisfaction with dental hygiene academics, the higher the critical thinking, communication skill, and problem-solving ability (p＜0.001). Critical thinking showed a high positive correlation with variables in the following order: clarification of the problem, performing the solutions, seeking solutions, decision making, and evaluation and reflection. The communication skills were also related to these variables listed above (p＜0.01). With critical thinking, confidence, watchfulness, intellectual passion/curiosity, sound skepticism, objectivity, and systematicity all influenced the problem-solving ability. Conclusion: Communication skills were influenced by noise control, putting on the other's shoe, social tensions, and efficiency, which affected the problem-solving ability. Dental clinics require dental hygienists to have critical thinking to make analytical judgments and effective communication skills to solve human relation problems with patients and care-givers. Therefore, these skills should be developed in dental hygiene students to improve their problem-solving abilities.

The Factors Influencing 21st Century Skills and Problem-Solving Skills: The Acceptance of Blackboard as Sustainable Education

“…Most research-based conclusions about the importance of students' self-efficacy in academic success [74,141,142] were further supported by the discovery that self-efficacy significantly affects both students' 21st century problem-solving abilities through using Blackboard Systems as a sustainable education model. This study's findings, which are consistent with recent research [100,143], support hypothesis H13 by demonstrating that problem-solving skills have a significant impact on a Blackboard System (BS). The degree to which students comprehend how employing a Blackboard System might enhance their learning is referred to as problem-solving skills.…”

“…The likelihood that a student will use BS increases as they become more aware of the desired advantages. According to Kocak et al; Han et al [100,143], a key factor in a system's acceptability is the user's perception of its advantages. The present study also discovered that the educational management system (H13) significantly affects students' academic performance at colleges of education.…”

Constructing Core Teaching Competency Indicators for Secondary School Science Teachers in China

“…Traditional cooperative learning is carried ISSN 1648-3898 /Print/ ISSN 2538-7138 /Online/ out in the form of face-to-face social interaction. With the continuous popularization of internet technology, information technology and multimedia provide new ways to promote cooperative learning and the development of individual critical thinking and communication skills (Jang, 2014). Internet-based cooperative learning brings many conveniences to education (such as low cost, high efficiency, convenience, etc.…”