Visualizing Reasoning: Concept Mapping to Elevate Critical Thinking Among Nursing Undergraduates of Sikkim, India
Background: Critical thinking is an essential competency for nurses working in increasingly complex healthcare environments. Traditional teaching approaches often emphasize rote memorization and may not adequately promote higher-order critical thinking skills. The concept mapping approach has proven to be an effective tool for fostering meaningful learning through linking theory with practice. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of concept mapping in educational settings as a learning method for enhancing the development of critical thinking among third-year B.Sc. nursing students at Sikkim Manipal College of Nursing, India. Methods: A quantitative randomized controlled pretest–posttest study was conducted among third-year B.Sc. nursing students. Sixty students were selected using simple random sampling from a total population of 90 eligible students and randomly allocated to either the intervention group (n = 30) or the control group (n = 30) using a lottery method. The experimental group underwent a concept mapping intervention for 12 weeks, while the control group engaged in conventional nursing care plans. Assessment of critical thinking skills was done using a Critical Thinking Questionnaire (CThQ), which is linked to the six cognitive domains of Bloom’s. Analysis of data used both descriptive and inferential statistics such as t-tests, independent t-tests, chi-square, or Fisher’s exact test. Results: Critical thinking scores increased significantly in the experimental group following concept mapping (81.67 ± 9.01 vs. 99.97 ± 9.43; t = 8.722, p < 0.001), compared with a smaller improvement in the control group (77.73 ± 10.53 vs. 82.26 ± 10.23; t = 4.871, p < 0.001). Post-test scores were significantly higher in the experimental group across all cognitive domains (p < 0.05), with large within-group and between-group effect sizes. Conclusion: Students who received concept mapping demonstrated significantly higher critical thinking scores than those who received conventional nursing care planning. These findings suggest that concept mapping may be an effective learner-centered teaching strategy for strengthening critical thinking among undergraduate nursing students.