ERIC Number: ED471623
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002-May
Pages: 8
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Deep Structure of Situated Thinking in Professionals.
Goodfellow, Lynda Thomas; Valentine, Thomas
Critical and situated thinking in the respiratory care profession were examined through an exploratory factor analysis of the critical thinking behaviors of a sample of 868 respiratory therapists. The respiratory therapists completed a survey instrument containing 44-questions related to how well particular critical thinking behaviors are performed. The questions sought information on the following seven factors involved in critical thinking: prioritizing, anticipating, troubleshooting, communication, decision making, negotiating, and reflecting. The factor analysis established that these seven factors could be narrowed into two broad factors--situated problem solving and communication skills. Analysis of the responses established that the respiratory therapists could be considered to be of three types as follows: (1) individuals called Type 1, with high situated problem-solving skills and high communication skills (377 respondents); (2) individuals called type 2, with low situated problem-solving skills and low communication skills (252 respondents); and (3) individuals called Type 3, with high situated problem-solving skills and low communication skills (239 respondents). The type 1 respiratory therapists tended to work in hospitals, be female, and have more experience in their profession. The type 2 respiratory therapists were mainly female, but being a type 2 thinker was not strongly related to years of experience in the profession. The type 3 respiratory therapists tended to be male, work in hospitals, and possibly be socially isolated. (14 references) (MN)
Descriptors: Allied Health Occupations, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Structures, Communication Skills, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Epistemology, Factor Analysis, Females, Hospitals, Job Performance, Males, Needs Assessment, Performance Factors, Problem Solving, Professional Occupations, Respiratory Therapy, Theory Practice Relationship, Thinking Skills, Troubleshooting, Work Experience
Adult and Community College Education, Box 7801, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7801 (Proceedings: $30). For full text: http://www.ncsu.edu/ced/acce/aerc/start.pdf.
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A