title: Critical Thinking and Disposition Toward Critical Thinking Among Physical Therapy Students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Students who enter a physical therapist (PT) entry-level program with weak critical thinking skills may not be prepared to benefit from the educational training program or successfully engage in the future as a competent healthcare provider. Therefore, assessing PT students' entry-level critical thinking skills and/or disposition toward critical thinking may be beneficial to identifying students with poor, fair, or good critical thinking ability as one of the criteria used in the admissions process into a professional program.
  
  
  METHODS
  First-year students (n=71) from the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center completed the California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST), the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI), and demographic survey during orientation to the DPT program. Three students were lost from the CCTST (n=68), and none lost from the CCTDI (n=71).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis indicated that the majority of students had a positive disposition toward critical thinking, yet the overall CCTST suggested that these students were somewhat below the national average. Also, individuals taking math and science prerequisites at the community-college level tended to have lower overall CCTST scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The entering DPT class demonstrated moderate or middle range scores in critical thinking and disposition toward critical thinking. This result does not indicate, but might suggest, the potential for learning challenges. Assessing critical thinking skills as part of the admissions process may prove advantageous.
authors.affiliation: Dep. of Physical Therapy, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, 5401 La Crosse Ave., Austin, TX 78739, USA. Tel 512-394-9766 ext 3147, fax 512-394-9764. tdomenech@usa.edu.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Domenech
authors.forename: Phillip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Watkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D059825:Physical Therapists / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D026761:Physical Therapy Specialty / Q000193:education*; D013850:Thinking