The Effect of Case Based Learning on Critical Thinking of Nursing Students

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to: 1) compare critical thinking scores between the experimental and control groups; and 2) compare the critical thinking scores of nursing students before and after attending case-based learning. The participants were 86 third-year nursing students. Simple random sampling was applied, and the participants were equally assigned into either the experimental or control groups, with 43 in each group. The control group received a conventional learning approach toward the lecture method, while the experimental group received case-based learning. The instruments included lesson plans using case-based learning and critical thinking models developed by the researcher. All of the instruments were tested for content validity. The reliability of critical thinking was 0.80. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test. The research results are as follows: 1.The mean score of critical thinking in the experimental group was higher when compared to the control group at the significant level of .00. 2. The mean score of the critical thinking of nursing students after engaging in case-based learning was higher than the baseline at the significant level of .01.
For the recommendation of the research findings, nursing instructors should upskill the nursing diagnosis and nursing intervention for learners to inspire the thought process as well as motivate the students’ interest in teaching materials or simulation.