5.4. Challenges in developing critical thinking skills
5.4.1. Student responses in relation to the challenges experienced in developing critical
Students felt that university sessions did not explicitly focus on critical thinking skills development. Two examples are given below:
We were never given tasks at the university where we were told that this is critical thinking. We don't think about this, so we don't know if we are building critical thinking or not and it’s not something that jumps to mind when you are given a task to do. (Olivia-IV2)
All the teaching sessions helped. Interaction with staff helped but there were no sessions that focused solely on critical thinking per se, but just talking through with staff, clarifying things helped a lot. (Thomas-IV2).
As was the case with tutors, students felt that links with learning and teaching activities and critical thinking skills development at the university were not made explicit to them. This poses a pedagogical implication for the programme and are confirmed in these views.
In relation to learning from feedback, nine out of thirteen students believed feedback did not always favour their learning. Two examples are given below:
…I have not done much with my feedback because it was not written in a way
I found useful. The points for improvement were in my critical analysis…I didn’t really get what they meant by critical analysis at the time. (Isabella-IV3) I think feedback in the department depends very much on who you are working with. The mentor has a big influence on your thinking and learning in placement. Sometimes the way feedback is given comes across negative and this can knock your confidence. (Olivia-IV3)
In her example above, Isabella explains that she did not act on her feedback because she felt she did not know how to, especially in relation to comments on critical analysis. In addition, Olivia offered that the quality of feedback from clinical placement depended on how a radiographer presented the feedback. She asserted that feedback given in a negative way could impact on students’ confidence, and adversely affect their learning and development at clinical placement. This implies that even constructive feedback comments can be given in a positive manner, and the overall manner in which feedback is given to students is seen as a direct indicator of student confidence, as stated by Olivia.
Eleven out of thirteen students experienced challenges in working alongside radiographers which affected their ability to develop critical thinking skills at clinical placement. Two examples are given below:
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You can have your say, but then you can’t really because you’re just a student and it’s kind of a power thing at the end of the day. It shouldn’t be like that because everybody should be playing their part as a team. But obviously what the person in charge is thinking is that you haven’t had as much experience as he has. What I learned in university about radiation safety, I thought would be correct to use in that situation – it’s frustrating…but I could not… (Jack-IV2) …being robbed of the opportunity to think and make decisions. (Olivia-IV2)
Jack felt that there is power wielded in favour of the radiographers, which inhibits the students in voicing their concerns even during times where poor practice is seen. He found the inability to practically apply his learning. It is not uncommon in practice today for radiographers to expect students to do as they are told. This reflects the traditional practice of radiography which was instruction led. Lastly, Olivia’s sentiment of ‘feeling robbed of the opportunity to think and make decisions,’ speaks to a key challenge faced by student radiographers in the clinical environment today, where they are training for best practice, yet feel that they cannot question the actions or instructions of radiographers. It is true, therefore, that there may be limited scope for critical thinking development and development of the decision-making process, which may have an impact on critical thinking skills development and on learning in years two and three. It is best practice that inspires public trust in our profession, and student radiographers need to be considered as agents of change to ensure that best practice, that benefits the patient, is the order of the day.
Thus far, there is evidence to suggest that students are not being encouraged to explicitly develop critical thinking and that traditional radiographer practice can inhibit the development of critical thinking skills in students. Below are two disparate views regarding students’ unwillingness to take initiative in their learning:
I'm sure that there are many people who are falling down on the ‘critical analysis’ aspect - so they should look at their feedback and reflect on how they can improve next time. In many ways, this is one of the key points from university - this isn't about simply regurgitating knowledge but showing that you understand and can appraise information. If you follow this practice, your marks should improve over time, but for some people, it would need to be a conscious effort whereas I feel that it comes more naturally for others. (Amelia-
IV3).
…this is going to sound harsh, but I think that many don't want to think. My view here is that the "thinkers" would simply take that point on board and recognise that we are "reading" for a degree and not being spoon-fed the answers (we've been told this often enough) so go away and work out how to do it. I think that this instance showed that many students on our course do want their hands held all the way… without having to do too much thinking of their own. (Jacob-IV3)
Amelia and Jacob provided an appreciation of feedback as a valuable tool, which is seen to bring about improvement, however, at the same time acknowledging that some students do
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not see this value and preferred to be ‘spoon-fed.’ Amelia makes the crucial point that learning was not about ‘regurgitating’ information but about demonstrating an understanding of learning in an appropriate way. Learning from feedback on assignments is considered one such way to improve your critical analysis. She states that while some students needed to make conscious efforts to do this, it occurs naturally for others. This implies that for students who are motivated to learn, this will be a natural part of the process whereas others will need to make an effort. Jacob feels that fellow students should have become better at independent learning, which is the culture of higher education, but he feels that many have not. This underscores that students generally do not understand well enough what critical thinking is and a large proportion are unwilling to take up challenges to gather information. At university, some students are passive absorbers of information, who rely on external stimuli for motivation and engagement with their learning. As a tutor, my view is that this could be the reason many students struggle with developing critical thinking skills at university.