The Journal of Medical Education and Development

Introduction: Team-based learning (TBL), is a form of cooperative learning which aims to create an active learning environment. It enhances the skills of individual accountability and teamwork, group interaction and motivation of those participating in group discussions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of team-based learning (TBL) on nursing students' critical thinking.

Methods: This study is a quasi-experimental in which  the effect TBL on undergraduate nursing students' critical thinking skills. Nursing students who enrolled in 2013-2014 at Iran University of Medical Sciences were randomly  assigned to two experimental and control groups. Watson- Glaser critical thinking questionnaire was used in this study . In both groups before and after intervention, 40 cases and 40 controls, were studied. Multiple choice and short-answer questionnaire were used to assess students' learning. T-test, ANOVA, were used to analyse the data.

Result: Average age of the participnants was 21.7and 56% of the participants were female.  TBL significant affect on critical thinking of the participnats (P>0.05). TBL improved critical thinking, understanding, identifying assumptions, inferences, interpretation, and evaluation of logical reasoning had been (P<0.001). The difference between the two educational practices affecting critical thinking (P<0.001) and related dimensions were all statistically significant.

Conclusion:TBL learning compared to traditional teaching methods (lectures) has a significant effect on improving students' critical thinking.