Critical Thinking Disposition and Influencing Factors Among Sophomore Pediatric Medical Students

Objective: The second year of undergraduate medical education is a critical phase transitioning from basic medical knowledge to specialized learning, requiring strong critical thinking abilities. Pediatric diseases, with their unique characteristics, demand active critical thinking from pediatricians. This study aims to investigate and analyze the critical thinking dispositions of second-year pediatric medical students, identify influencing factors, and propose recommendations for improving teaching methods.

Methods: This cross-sectional study employed the Chinese version of the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CTDI-CV) and conducted an online survey among 240 second-year pediatric medical students at Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China. The study described the overall CTDI-CV scores and sub-dimension scores (mean ± standard deviation) and analyzed the distribution of critical thinking dispositions using t-tests and trend analysis.

Results: A total of 229 students (95.4%) completed the survey, with 58.95% being female. The overall mean critical thinking score was 287.96 ± 39.09, and 139 students (60.70%) exhibited positive or highly positive critical thinking dispositions. Rural students scored lower than non-rural students (t = -2.773, P = 0.0069), while only children scored higher than non-only children (t = 2.659, P = 0.0086). Higher high school academic ranking was associated with higher scores (H = 23.85, P < 0.001). Students whose parents had a bachelor's degree or higher scored significantly better (t = 2.373, P = 0.0188). Interest in pediatrics was linked to higher scores (H = 15.36, P = 0.0015). Positive correlations were found between analyticity, inquisitiveness, and self-confidence (r ≥ 0.75).

Conclusion: Second-year pediatric medical students in China generally display strong critical thinking abilities. Factors such as family background, academic performance, parental education level, and interest in pediatrics significantly influence these abilities. Pediatric educators should account for these individual differences to better enhance critical thinking development in students and improve teaching strategies accordingly.