Authentic learning environments for critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in clinical pharmacology: a scoping review

Introduction

Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are crucial skills for healthcare professionals, particularly in clinical pharmacology, where decision making directly impacts patient care. However, there is a gap in the literature on how to foster these skills effectively. Therefore, the aim of this study was to map and examine the evidence of authentic learning environments in healthcare education in developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in pharmacology.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search of four electronic databases to identify relevant primary research studies. We focused on studies that have investigated and implemented various authentic learning environments. The analysis focused on studies that covered and assessed critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in authentic learning contexts. The results were structured and reported in accordance with PRISMA-Scr. For this analysis, we used Herrington and Herrington's framework to identify the characteristics of authentic learning environments across studies.

Results and discussion

Of the 141 articles screened for eligibility, 31 were included. This analysis of authenticity reveals how each environment uniquely contributes to the development of critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills in pharmacology. Notably, environments that integrate simulation-based learning, case-based learning, and collaborative activities are linked to significant improvements in critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. The variety of implementation influenced their effectiveness, suggesting that a deeper integration of authentic characteristics in the learning environment tends to enhance students' clinical decision-making capabilities. Overall, these findings indicate that authentic learning environments can substantially improve the application of clinical knowledge in real-world settings.