Fostering critical thinking (CT) represents a major educational outcome in higher education worldwide (Facione, 2010).  As a composite of attitudes, knowledge, and cognitions, CT is conceptualized in terms of skills and dispositions.  CT skills are defined as purposeful, self-regulatory judgments that results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference and explanation. CT dispositions include truth-seeking, openmindedness, systematicity, analyticity maturity, inquisitiveness, and self-confidence (Facione, 2010).  Facione notes that CT skills and dispositions are two separate constructs: being disposed towards CT does not assure that one is skilled or vice versa. In physical education (PE), McBride (1992) defined CT as “reflective thinking that is used to make reasonable and defensible decisions…” (p.115). A key component in McBride’s definition is thoughtful decision-making. To make thoughtful decisions, one must first be willing or predisposed to the CT process.

Although critical thinking is widely accepted as an important international learning outcome, researchers say that CT skills and dispositions among students in higher education need to be developed (Grosser & Lombard, 2008; Sengul & Ustundag, 2009).  We cannot assume that students will spontaneously pick up these skills without being taught explicitly. In this context, teachers play a crucial role in preparing thoughtful citizens. To prepare the next generation of critical thinkers, teachers need to be trained in their pre- and in-service programs. Daniel & Bergman-Drewe (1998) assert that the development of CT should be a primary goal of Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) programs. However, some researchers who examined preservice PE teachers’ CT dispositions (e.g., McBride, Xiang & Wittenburg, 2002; McBride, Xiang, Wittenburg  & Shen, 2002)  and skills (Sacli & Demirhan, 2008; 2011) pointed out that critical thinking in this population needs to be improved.

Pearce & Jackson (2006) state that drama education can benefit a university education.  De la Roche (1993) states that “critical thinking is encouraged at many different stages of the dramatic process” (p.5).  Consequently, one way to teach CT to preservice PE teachers may be through creative drama (CD). In addition to CT, drama also provides opportunities for students to understand different points of view and to learn about empathy as well as to improve creativity, group work, communication, and self-awareness. Generally, CD in education is to animate and represent any subject with a group utilizing improvisation and role playing techniques that draw from the experiences of the group members (Adiguzel, 2006).

Though there is some evidence linking CD to improvement of CT, little research examining pre-service PE teachers’ CT in CD process exists. Therefore, this study examined CT among pre-service PE teachers involved in CD. Specifically, the research questions were: (a) is there evidence of critical thinking dispositions and skills among pre-service PE teachers enrolled in a 10-week creative drama class? and (b) are there changes in preservice PE teachers’ critical thinking dispositions and skills across in a 10-week creative drama class?

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