Abstract
Graduates from higher education programs ought to think critically and be disciplinary experts capable of working collaboratively with interprofessional teams to resolve complex workplace issues. This study investigates the relationship between students' critical thinking performance, and interprofessional education (IPE), as associated with their learning styles, thinking styles, and perceptions of the learning experience. The methodological approach consists of a quasi-experimental design with an IPE intervention. We assessed students' critical thinking performance pre and post the IPE intervention, their pre and post IPE perceptions surveys. We evaluated students' learning and thinking style preferences with the Grasha-Riechmann Students' Learning Style Scales and Watson's Thinking Styles Inventory, respectively. Health science, business, and bioengineering majors from three colleges at Florida Gulf Coast University participated in the study. Findings indicate IPE positively contributed to critical thinking performance with variations across disciplines. Business students' participant learning preferences contributed to their critical thinking performance, independent learning preferences were influential for bioengineering students, and dependent and independent learning preferences played a role for health science students. Students' perceptions of IPE varied among majors. The IPE model is a meaningful approach to resolve problems, nurture critical thinking, and transition students from classroom to professional practice. Keywords: critical thinking, critical thinking performance, interprofessional education, interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary education