Clinical Critical Thinking in Medical Education: Research Progress and Cultivation Strategies

Authors

  • Liang Ying
  • Xiaoqing Qiu
  • Zixun Dai
  • Yutong Sun
  • Meiting Ye
  • Yichen Shao
  • Jiarui Gao
  • Hanxiao Yang
  • Xiaodong Shen

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/7m010v22

Keywords:

Critical Thinking; Medical Students; Teaching Methods; Cultivation Pathways.

Abstract

Critical thinking is widely regarded as one of the core competencies in medical education and constitutes an important cornerstone for medical students to make scientific decisions and ensure clinical safety. In recent years, with the transformation of medical education concepts and the increasing complexity of the clinical environment, the cultivation of critical thinking has become a key link in the competency education system for medical students. Based on a systematic review of domestic and foreign literature, this article comprehensively reviews the research progress of clinical critical thinking from four dimensions: concept evolution, assessment tools, influencing factors, and training paths. The research results show that the essence of critical thinking lies in rational analysis, reflective judgment and evidence integration, while its effective cultivation depends on the collaborative transformation of inquiry-based teaching, diversified assessment systems and educational culture. In the future, longitudinal tracking research and intelligent assessment should be strengthened to promote a profound transformation of medical education from knowledge-oriented to thinking-oriented.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Core Committee, Institute for International Medical Education. (2002). Global minimum essential requirements in medical education. Medical Teacher, 24(2), 130–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590220120731

[2] Sharples, J. M., Oxman, A. D., Mahtani, K. R., Chalmers, I., Oliver, S., Collins, K., Austvoll-Dahlgren, A., Hoffmann, T., & Thornton, H. (2017). Critical thinking in healthcare and education. BMJ, 357, j2234. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j2234

[3] Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z. A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., Fineberg, H., Garcia, P., Ke, Y., Kelley, P., Meleis, A., Naylor, D., Pablos-Mendez, A., Reddy, S., Scrimshaw, S., Sepulveda, J., Serwadda, D., & Zurayk, H. (2010). Health professionals for a new century: Transforming education to strengthen health systems in an interdependent world. The Lancet, 376(9756), 1923–1958. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61854-5

[4] Ministry of Education & Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China. (2008). Undergraduate medical education standards-Clinical medicine (Trial version). Gazette of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China, (12), 27–37. [in Chinese]

[5] General Office of the State Council. (2017, July 11). Guiding opinions on deepening the integration of medical education and promoting the reform and development of medical education. [Policy document, in Chinese]

[6] Dewey, J. (1910). How we think. D. C. Heath and Company.

[7] Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: A statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction (The Delphi Report). California Academic Press.

[8] Scott, C. (2007). Doctors as advocates, lawyers as healers. Hamline Journal of Public Law and Policy, 29, 331–350.

[9] General Medical Council. (2020). Outcomes for graduates. London: GMC.

[10] Facione, P. A. (1990). The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST): Technical report #1. California Academic Press.

[11] Peng, M. C., Wang, G. C., Chen, J. L., et al. (2004). Reliability and validity of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory–Chinese Version. Chinese Higher Medical Education, (1), 45–47. [in Chinese]

[12] Alizadeh, M., & Sameri, M. J. (2023). Advances in intelligent assessment in medical education: A systematic review. Journal of Advances in Medical Education & Professionalism, 11(4), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.30476/jamp.2023.97152.1589

[13] Cui, L. Y., Li, Y. L., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory in nursing students. Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing, 27(10), 1273–1278. [in Chinese]

[14] Liu, Y., Sun, B. Z., & Qu, B. (2010). The impact of problem-based learning on medical students’ critical thinking skills. Chinese Journal of Medical Education, 30(1), 85–87. [in Chinese]

[15] Zhao, Y., Li, P., & Wang, S. (2023). Emotional intelligence and critical thinking in medical students: A cross-sectional study. BMC Medical Education, 23(1), 145. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04153-2

[16] Kong, L. N., Qin, B., Zhou, Y. Q., Mou, S. Y., & Gao, H. M. (2014). The effectiveness of problem-based learning on nursing students’ critical thinking: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(3), 458–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.06.009

[17] Guo, X. Y. (2011). Correlation between critical thinking and clinical decision-making ability in nursing interns. Nursing Research, (9), 2365–2366. [in Chinese]

[18] Wang, L., & Chen, H. (2022). Cross-cultural perspectives on critical thinking education in China and the West. Medical Education Online, 27(1), 2085554. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2085554

[19] Shuai, X. M., Li, P., & Che, Q. (2023). Current status and influencing factors of post competence among junior nurses. Nursing Science, 12, 605–610. [in Chinese]

[20] Hao, R., & Li, J. (2022). The role of doctor–patient communication training in promoting critical thinking in clinical internship teaching. Chinese Journal of Nursing Education, 19(4), 295–298. [in Chinese]

[21] Araújo, B., Moura, C., Martins, A., et al. (2024). Critical thinking pedagogical practices in medical education: A systematic review. Frontiers in Medicine, 11, 1358444. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1358444

[22] Zou, J., Shen, J. W., & Yu, F. (2023). Integration of case-based learning and evidence-based medicine for cultivating clinical critical thinking at Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Chinese Higher Medical Education, (2), 1–2, 35. [in Chinese]

[23] Zhao, X., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Combined PBL–CBL model improves clinical reasoning and critical thinking: Evidence from Chinese medical education reform. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 182. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-04981-3

[24] Zheng, X. Y., Li, D., & Zhao, Y. (2023). The role of reflective journals in cultivating medical students’ critical thinking. Chinese Journal of Medical Education Exploration, 22(8), 725–730. [in Chinese]

[25] Kononowicz, A. A., Zary, N., Edelbring, S., Corral, J., & Hege, I. (2019). Virtual patient simulations in health professions education: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(7), e14676. https://doi.org/10.2196/14676

[26] Guo, Y. H., & Zhou, H. (2024). Current status and reform suggestions for cultivating clinical thinking ability. Chinese Higher Medical Education, 15(1), 42–46. [in Chinese]

[27] Fang, Y., Li, T., & Wang, R. (2023). Blended learning and reflective practice in developing critical thinking for medical students. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 28(2), 321–335. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-022-10188-8

[28] Jin, L. M., Jiang, Y., & Xie, F., et al. (2021). Cross-sectional survey on medical students’ critical thinking ability. Chinese Journal of Medical Education Exploration, 20(5), 520–524. [in Chinese]

[29] Wang, T., Chen, X., & Xu, L. (2023). AI-based analysis for clinical reasoning evaluation: A review of emerging methods. Frontiers in Medicine, 10, 1137258. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2023.1137258

[30] He, Q., Zhang, J., & Liu, Z. (2024). Longitudinal tracking of critical thinking development in medical students: A multi-phase study in China. BMC Medical Education, 24(1), 211. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-04983-1

[31] Huang, Y., & Li, C. (2022). Faculty development in critical thinking instruction for medical educators: A systematic review. Medical Education Online, 27(1), 2048956. https://doi.org/10.1080/10872981.2022.2048956

Downloads

Published

2025-12-08

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Ying, Liang, Xiaoqing Qiu, Zixun Dai, Yutong Sun, Meiting Ye, Yichen Shao, Jiarui Gao, Hanxiao Yang, and Xiaodong Shen. 2025. “Clinical Critical Thinking in Medical Education: Research Progress and Cultivation Strategies”. Scientific Journal Of Humanities and Social Sciences 7 (12): 417-23. https://doi.org/10.54691/7m010v22.