Assessing Critical Thinking Skills of Athletic Training Professional and Post-Professional Students

Abstract

Critical thinking (CT) can be described as using resources, identifying assumptions, asking questions, comparing alternatives, and finally coming to a conclusion. Critical thinking can be used in daily life, general work, or in specialty situations and is a valuable skill in health professions. Athletic training integrates CT into evaluations, treatments, rehabilitation programs, and other activities. Critical thinking is needed in the profession of athletic training to increase accuracy of diagnosis and evaluation and to improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to establish CT baseline scores for athletic training professional and post-professional students. Results revealed that the post-professional students in this sample scored higher on the Health Science Reasoning Test than professional students.