The Relationship between Information Literacy with Critical Thinking among Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Information literacy and critical thinking are very important for medical students because of the importance of lifelong learning and being up-to-date. This study aimed to determine information literacy and critical thinking in students of School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedicine College of Guilan University of Medical Sciences.
This analytic cross-sectional was conducted on 165 undergraduate students including: Radio-technology, Nursing, Medical laboratory, Midwifery, Anesthesiology and Operation Technology with Random sampling of comparative classification were studying in School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine College affiliated in GUMS during 2016-7. Data was gathered by using a demographic, standard questionnaire to assess information literacy based on Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the California Critical Thinking Inventory (CCTST-B). Data analyzed by using sample T-Test, ANOVA and Pearson Tests and SPSS software ver.16 and P- value was considered lower than 0.05.
Overall mean score of critical thinking and information literacy were calculated 22.78±9.5 and 24.53±7.054, respectively. The score of operating Technologists and Midwifery were more than others, Respectively. Total score of information literacy and the various disciplines involved were a significant relationship (P=0.001). Although the relationship between the overall mean of information literacy and critical thinking was not found (P=0.093), but effective and efficient access, the ability to critically evaluative information and resources and integrated knowledge base and value system and the ability to understand, access and use based on ethical and legal principles as information literacy areas had a significant relationship with the areas of critical thinking (P Information literacy and critical thinking estimated low in the sub-units. According to the importance of two issues of critical thinking and information literacy in academic developing and professional achievements, experts and policy makers related to education should emphasize on its teaching more.