Vazquez M , Mercer S, Fallin R, Aloisio K; Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA. mvazqu@lsuhsc.edu.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Analysis (WGCTA) to track critical thinking changes over a 2-year period in Master’s Level Physical Therapy Students. SUBJECTS: Subjects consisted of twenty-four post baccalaureate students, admitted to the entry-level Master’s degree Physical Therapy program at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center – Shreveport in June 1999. Of the twenty-four students (7 males; 16 females), twenty-two were Caucasian, one African-American, and one of Creole descent. The age range was twenty-one to twenty-five years old. Previous degrees obtained included B.S. in biology, psychology, medical technician, rehabilitation therapy, exercise science, and education. METHODS: Data was collected by retrospective examination of students’ written records and included: GRE composite scores, pre-admission GPA, Pre-admission science GPA, professional or composite GPA, licensure exam (NPTE) and WGCTA scores. The WGCTA was administered four times during the program. The tests were not timed, and all students took the test at the same time. The first administration of the test (Form A) was administered during the first week of the first semester in June 1999, in order to establish a baseline. The second test (Form B) was give at the end of the first spring semester in May 2000. The third test (Form A) was administered at the beginning of the second fall semester in August 2000, and then the fourth (Form B) at the end of the final spring semester in March 2001. The licensure exam scores were collected by student consent. ANALYSIS: The statistical analysis used in this study included: Descriptive Statistics and Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance. RESULTS: Mean scores obtained on the WGCTA 1, WGCTA 2, WGCTA 3, and WGCTA 4 were as follows: 61.42, 59.83, 61.33, and 62.54 respectively. Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance displayed no significant improvement (p = 104) was observed in the WGCTA over the 2 –year period of the Master’s Level Physical Therapy Program. CONCLUSION: Data from this study has shown no significant increases in critical thinking skills of Physical Therapy students participating in a 2 –year Master’s level program. This study only included Physical Therapy students, therefore, conclusions from this investigation cannot be generalized to other educational programs. RELEVANCE: This study provides information that may prove the WGCTA is a reliable measure of critical thinking and may be useful in admission processes.

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