Many universities contain a wellness course in their general education curriculum whose main purpose is to teach wellness principles to young adults at a time when negative health habits are likely to develop (Adams, Graves, & Adams, 2006). While these courses can positively impact wellness behaviors (Welle & Kittleson, 1994), successful health behavior change requires the development of strong critical thinking skills in making healthy decisions. No previous research has examined alternative pedagogical approaches to teaching critical thinking in these courses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare a traditional approach to teaching a university-based wellness course to an alternative critical thinking-based approach.
Method
Participants were (N=161) undergraduates enrolled in introductory wellness courses. Experimental classes (3; N=69) consisted of limited time in instructor-driven lectures, and included a variety of in-class interactive group activities, analytical/comparative writing assignments, and reflective projects. Control classes (4; N=92) consisted of “traditional” instruction methods, including teacher-driven lectures and student assessment through exams on course lectures and reading. Assessment of critical thinking across conditions was based on Nosich's (2005) SEE-I (State, Elaborate, Examples, Illustrate) method for teaching written critical thinking across the curriculum. This method requires students to engage in interpretation, personal reflection, and critical analysis of material as it related to wellness dimensions. Students read short (1-2 pages) wellness issue articles at the beginning and end of the semester, and wrote a brief narrative response using a prescribed format. Pre- and post-course assessments were used to compare group differences in critical thinking.
Analysis/Results
Five separate 2 (time; pre- vs. post-course) x 2 (group; experimental vs. control) repeated measures ANOVAs were performed on SEE-I scores and overall composite scores. Significant time x group interactions were found for State (p=.003), Elaborate (p=.005), Example (p=.015), Illustrate (p=.0001) and composite (p=.0001) scores. Results indicated that students in the experimental group performed significantly higher in all critical thinking components and composite scores at the end of the course compared to students in the control classes.
Conclusions
Students in wellness courses taught through an alternate critical-thinking based pedagogical approach were significantly improved in critical thinking ability compared to students taught by a traditional method. Students taught wellness concepts through a critical thinking approach may be more successful in navigating personal health decisions. This finding suggests educators may wish to focus on developing critical thinking skills through wellness courses.