Relationship Between Selected Discourse Strategies and Student Critical Thinking

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between use of selected discourse strategies and level of student critical thinking in nursing clinical post-conferences. Selected discourse strategies included: (a) teacher high-level questions, (b) teacher elaboration of student ideas, (c) teacher probing questions, (d) student participation, and (e) student-to-student participation. The level of student critical thinking was defined as the quartile ranking of students (N = 57) on the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal summative measure. It was hypothesized that greater use of discourse strategies would be associated with high-levels of student critical thinking. All discourse strategies were significantly associated (p < .0001) to student quartile ranking for one taping session (Conference II). Further analysis, however, revealed ambiguous patterns of two-way associations. The more consistent findings suggested a conceptual relationship between less student talk and student-to-student talk and high-levels of student critical thinking.