Cognitive Development: The Scaffold for Critical Thought.

Critical thinking is valued in nursing education, but few studies have addressed level of cognitive development as a necessary structure for critical thinking. This correlational study uses hierarchical multiple regression analysis to investigate relationships between level of cognitive development and level of critical thinking, holding gender, age, general knowledge, prior education, and language status constant (N = 190). Results indicated 30 percent of beginning nursing students were at a concrete thinking level. Cognitive developmental level accounted for a significant portion of the variance in critical thinking scores. Consideration of cognitive developmental readiness for critical thinking in nursing students is recommended.