Kritiskā domāšana medicīniskās ķīmijas studijās: promocijas darba kopsavilkums zinātnes doktora grāda (Ph.D.) iegūšanai | Critical thinking in medical chemistry studies: Summary of the doctoral thesis for the doctoral degree of science (Ph.D.)

The objective of the doctoral thesis: by assessing the nature of critical thinking, to develop the didactic model of the medical chemistry course, and implement it with methods based on the principles of critical thinking. The idea of the didactic model is realized by expanding the possibilities for use of principles and methods that are already known, where critical thinking is a mean for achieving the objective of study – acquisition of a course of medical chemistry – but the content of a course of medical chemistry, in turn, serves as a context for critical thinking. The study showed that among the many principles of critical thinking in the implementation of the didactic model, the principle of purposiveness, the principle of selection and analysis of information, the principle of respect for fundamental consistency, the principle of critical reading and the principle of acknowledgment of the limits of one’s knowledge are the most appropriate. The criteria for choosing critical thinking principles are their suitability for different situations of medical chemistry studies (face-to-face or online), and their significance for the future education and professional activities of students. The model promotes reaching of learning outcomes which students are able to demonstrate at the end of concrete studies according to definite assessment criteria. Criteria for assessing knowledge, skills and abilities in medical chemistry studies were established on the basis of the chosen methods in the developed model. The criteria for the effectiveness of the didactic model are information analysis, problem-solving tasks, systemization of information, discussion skills and self-assessment, which students show in the final questionnaires of the course and demonstrate in their final test work, as well as in practical lessons and seminars. The model promotes reaching of learning outcomes which students are able to demonstrate at the end of concrete studies according to definite assessment criteria. The doctoral thesis consists of an introduction, five chapters, conclusions, a bibliography list and appendices.