Perceptions and motivations toward critical thinking among health science students in northern Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Critical thinking (CT) is a vital competency for future healthcare providers, as it enables effective decision-making, problem-solving, and the delivery of patient care in increasingly complex clinical environments. This study examined perceptions, motivations, and factors associated with CT. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 330 medical and other health science students using a validated questionnaire. Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the two domains. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine predictors of perception and motivation toward CT. The majority of participants demonstrated low to medium levels of perception of and motivation toward CT. More than 60% of students reported receiving frequent institutional support, whereas only 58% reported receiving support from their academic advisors for CT development. Female students had significantly higher perception scores (p = 0.029), and nursing students demonstrated higher perception levels than medical students (p = 0.016). Obese students exhibited lower perception (p = 0.012) and motivation scores (p = 0.008). Strategies to improve students’ perceptions of and motivation toward CT are recommended to foster the advanced clinical reasoning skills required for high-quality healthcare delivery. These strategies include enhancing opportunities for interprofessional collaboration and integrating practice-oriented CT activities.