Critical thinking skills and learning styles of first -year students in weekend occupational therapy programs
Guardado en:
| Publicado en: | ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (1999) |
|---|---|
| Autor principal: | |
| Publicado: |
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Citation/Abstract Full Text - PDF |
| Etiquetas: |
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| Resumen: | Eight college curricula in which all course work for a degree in occupational therapy is scheduled on weekends, have been accredited since 1984. Weekend occupational therapy programs recruit working adult students from diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which variability in the critical thinking skills and learning styles of first-year students in these programs could be explained by the students' previous education and experience. A regression design was used. Three factors considered when students are selected for admission to weekend programs were treated as primary independent variables (degrees earned, cumulative college grade point average, occupation). Control variables included four student characteristics which previous research has indicated are related to critical thinking and/or learning style (gender age, native language, work experience). Grade in a prerequisite physics course was also treated as a control variable, because some studies have shown it to be a better predictor of academic success in health-occupational therapy programs. The researcher administered the measures at each site in the spring/summer semester of 1998. A background information form provided data about the independent variables. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (Form S) was used as the measure of critical thinking skills. Learning style was measured with Kolb's Learning Style Inventory. The SPSS 7.5 computer software was used for description and multivariate analysis of the data. Students who entered weekend programs with bachelor's or master's degrees had significantly higher critical thinking scores than students who entered with associate's degrees. Educational preparation and grades together explained 13% of the variability in the critical thinking scores of the subjects. Weekend occupational therapy students, unlike the traditional students studied previously, preferred to learn by observing and reflecting. Grades and location of the college together explained 9% of the variability in their learning style scores. Implications for curriculum development and teaching methodology were discussed. |
|---|---|
| ISBN: | 9780599583030 |
| Fuente: | ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global |