Achievement goal orientation and the critical thinking disposition of college students across academic programmes

This study links achievement goal theory and models of critical thinking by investigating the relationship between motivational goals and the thinking dispositions of college students enrolled in five different academic programmes in Thailand (N = 1336, males = 32.9% and females = 67.1%). We found significant differences in goal orientations and thinking dispositions across academic programmes. For example, nursing students were significantly more mastery goal-oriented and had a higher level of ‘analytical’ thinking disposition than students in business, engineering, education and vocational programmes. Multiple regression analysis found a positive influence of mastery goals and a negative influence of performance avoidance goals on the levels of critical thinking dispositions. We found that critical thinking dispositions are related to goal orientation response patterns and vary with the curricular context.     

Relationship of creativity and critical thinking to pattern recognition among Singapore private school students

Abstract

Cognitive pattern recognition is known to be an important skill for academic subjects such as mathematics, science, languages, or even humanities. In this study, we investigate the relationships between creativity, critical thinking, and pattern recognition among 203 private school students in Singapore. The instruments used include a creativity test (modified Creativity Selected Elements Questionnaire), a Critical Thinking Test (modified Cornell Critical Thinking), and a pattern recognition test. The main data analysis is done using the SMART-PLS structural equation modeling software. The results of the study reveal that creativity is a weak predictor of pattern recognition (β?=?0.131, p?>?0.05, f² = 0.024) but critical thinking is a good predictor (β?=?0.517, p?<?0.05, f² = 0.374). An implication of the research outcome is that more training on critical thinking should be given to the students to improve their pattern recognition ability.     

Temperamental task orientation: Relation to high school and college educational accomplishments

To evaluate the role of temperamental task orientation in adolescents' academic success, we examined its relation to educational accomplishments in high school and college using longitudinal data. Participants (N = 110) were assessed at 15, 16, and 17 years of age with a follow-up at 24 years. Adolescent self-report and parent reports of task orientation at 16 were used to predict high school and college GPA, SAT scores, perseverance in college, and degree attainment. Task orientation related to high school GPA and accounted for variance above and beyond SES and IQ in predicting high school and college GPA. An interaction emerged between IQ and task orientation: increasing levels of task orientation were associated with higher GPA for students with higher intelligence, but not for those with relatively lower intelligence. These findings highlight the contribution of non-intellective factors to academic achievement in secondary and post-secondary education.     

An ‘infusion’ approach to critical thinking: Moore on the critical thinking debate

This paper argues that general skills and the varieties of subject‐specific discourse are both important for teaching, learning and practising critical thinking. The former is important because it outlines the principles of good reasoning simpliciter (what constitutes sound reasoning patterns, invalid inferences, and so on). The latter is important because it outlines how the general principles are used and deployed in the service of ‘academic tribes’. Because critical thinking skills are—in part, at least—general skills, they can be applied to all disciplines and subject‐matter indiscriminately. General skills can help us assess reasoning independently of the vagaries of the linguistic discourse we express arguments in. The paper looks at the debate between the ‘specifists’—those who stress the importance of critical thinking understood as a subject‐specific discourse—and the ‘generalists’—those that stress the importance of critical thinking understood independently of disciplinary context. The paper suggests that the ‘debate’ between the specifists and the generalists amounts to a fallacy of the false alternative, and presents a combinatory‐‘infusion’ approach to critical thinking.     

Implicit theories of intelligence,goal orientation,cognitive engagement,and achievement: A test of Dweck’s model with returning to school adults

This study tested and extended Dweck’s social-cognitive theory of motivation with adults who deliberately chose to face the challenge of returning to school. We examined the relationships among beliefs (implicit theories) on the nature of intelligence, goal orientation, cognitive engagement in learning, and achievement using path analyses. Findings were generally consistent with Dweck’s theoretical predictions. Striving for competence improvement (mastery goals) had a positive impact on learning activities and outcomes, while striving to demonstrate competence (performance goals) or to avoid effort (work avoidance) had a negative influence on learning and achievement. Additionally, data suggested that mastery goals had a positive influence on academic achievement through the mediation of effort expenditure. The predicted effects of implicit theories of intelligence on goal orientation and cognitive engagement in learning, however, failed to emerge. Results are discussed in relation to their general theoretical implications and with regard to the specific characteristics of returning to school adults.     

Beyond critical thinking skills: Investigating the relationship between critical thinking skills and dispositions through different online instructional strategies

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the relationship between critical thinking skills (CTS) and critical thinking dispositions (CTD), and (2) the effectiveness of different levels of instructional strategy (asynchronous online discussions (AODs), CTS instruction via AODs, and CTS instruction with CTD cultivation via AODs) in improving students' CTS and CTD. A pretest and posttest quasi-experimental design was employed to achieve this purpose. The participants in this study were 220 students enrolled in a general education course at a large university in Taiwan. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) the overall relationship between CTS and CTD was positive. However, further analysis of the relationship between the different levels of CTS and CTD showed that only the students with high CTS and medium CTD showed a significant correlation; (2) the enhancement in CTS reinforced CTD, but the improvement in CTD did not increase the level of CTS. In addition, it is recommended that to improve the CTS and CTD of all students (including the students with a high level of CTS), the instructional strategy, CTS instruction with CTD cultivation, be employed.     

Using texting to nudge urban public school students to and through college

Abstract

This study investigates how a network of New York City public schools use texting to increase enrollment and persistence in college. Text messages include tips and reminders to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as well as college tips. Our multiple regression results suggest that although when the texting began did not appear to matter, the texting program increased enrollment and persistence in college. In addition, response rates were positively associated with enrollment and persistence. Finally, we find that the content of the messages themselves as well as individual characteristics affected response rates.     

中小学生思想道德评价指标体系构建的理性思考

中小学生思想道德评价指标体系的构建,具有提高德育决策和管理的科学水平和促进德育工作和学生思想道德发展的意义。指标体系研制的依据：中共中央、国务院及各级教委发布的法律法规及相关文件;当前中国社会对学生思想道德发展的要求;基础教育目标和中小学生身心发展水平;思想政治教育的传统及时代探索;学生思想道德发展的需求等方面。发展性及科学性原则、适度导向及前瞻性原则、务实及可行性原则、稳定及适应性原则和底线原则是评价指标体系构建的基本原则。     

Gamers and gaming context: Relationships to critical thinking

Gaming is purported to hold promise for education, in part, because it is thought to develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking. To date, there has been a dearth of generalisable research investigating the relationship between gaming and critical thinking. Results of a survey of 121 adults found that gamers and non‐gamers do not differ significantly on critical thinking dispositions. However, gamers who play strategy games scored higher on actively open‐minded thinking than did other types of gamers. In addition, low compared with high involvement in the gaming community was associated with higher open‐minded thinking. Implications for educators and for further research are discussed.     

An evaluation of argument mapping as a method of enhancing critical thinking performance in e-learning environments

The current research examined the effects of a critical thinking (CT) e-learning course taught through argument mapping (AM) on measures of CT ability. Seventy-four undergraduate psychology students were allocated to either an AM-infused CT e-learning course or a no instruction control group and were tested both before and after an 8-week intervention period on CT ability using the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment. Results revealed that participation in the AM-infused CT course significantly enhanced overall CT ability and all CT sub-scale abilities from pre- to post-testing and that post-test performance was positively correlated with motivation towards learning and dispositional need for cognition. In addition, AM-infused CT course participants exhibited a significantly larger gain in both overall CT and in argument analysis (a CT subscale) than controls. There were no effects of training on either motivation for learning or need for cognition. However, both the latter variables were correlated with CT ability at post-testing. Results are discussed in light of research and theory on the best practices of providing CT instruction through argument mapping and e-learning environments.     

Early approach to theoretical thinking: gears in primary school

Gears are part of everyday experience from very early childhood. This paper analyses a teaching experiment conducted with 4th graders in the field of experience of gears. The aim is to identify the characteristics which, given a suitable sequence of tasks and proper teacher guidance, have enabled the pupils to approach theoretical thinking, and in particular mathematical theorems. We have focused on the relationships between the epistemological analysis of some pieces of mathematical knowledge brought into play in tasks concerning gears, cognitive analysis of pupil construction of those pieces of mathematical knowledge, and didactic analysis of the teacher's role in designing tasks and in offering cultural mediation. This paper presents the early findings of the teaching experiments, both at the external level of interpersonal classroom processes and at the inner level of individual mental processes. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Empathy and critical thinking: primary students solving local environmental problems through outdoor learning

The present study explores the outcomes of teaching empathy and critical thinking to solve environmental problems. This investigation was done throughout the duration of an environmental education course within a primary school located in central Chile. A community-based research methodology was used to understand the formation of empathy and critical thinking. The findings reveal a significant benefit in using empathy strategies to engage students regarding the thinking processes involved with solving environmental problems. Using these elements as teaching techniques for environmental education courses can be very helpful in reaching the aims of creating a sustainable citizenry.     

The POE in the primary school: An evaluation

The POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) is a technique for identifying students' knowledge and understanding of science concepts. It has mainly been used for physical science topics at secondary and tertiary levels. In the present study, 60 preservice teachers each implemented and evaluated POEs with groups of primary children. The children were studying a range of topics from the NSW Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus and represented a range of year levels. The evaluations were generally positive. The children responded to the technique enthusiastically and the teachers were able to identify both their understandings and their process skills development. The main problems were the difficulty of inventing suitable POEs in some topics, especially topics on communication, and problems caused by the use of oral rather than written responses. The study concluded that it is a suitable technique for primary science.     

Re-imaging and re-constructing cross-cultural research through critical personal narratives: an examination into fault lines

In this paper, the authors illustrate the impacts of their cross-cultural research in Africa, on their current work in science and STEM education. Through the examination of two research projects in cross-cultural settings in Africa, the authors explore the lasting impacts of this type of work. Specifically, through the use of Critical Personal Narratives and feminist theory, the authors discover fault lines existing in this cross-cultural work and ultimately the shifts in their conceptions of science and STEM education.     

Liberal Studies in Hong Kong: A new perspective on critical thinking through group work

This article reports research that is contextualised within reforms of secondary education in Hong Kong and the reintroduction of Liberal Studies, which jointly emphasise the need for a learning environment that facilitates the practice of group work and the development of critical thinking. A study is described that explores the relevance of group work for fostering critical thinking, looking in particular at the participation of teachers in small group activity. While attention is paid to the results of critical thinking tests and excerpts extracted from the students’ dialogues, the research also seeks to highlight the role of the teacher in breaking stalemates in discussion with appropriate interventions. In sum, this article concludes by illustrating the importance of collaborative group work in the development of students’ critical thinking skills.     

The disposition toward critical thinking of high school and university science students: an interintra Israeli-Italian Study

The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) was used to assess the disposition of Israeli and Italian high school and university science students toward critical thinking. The study sought to establish base-lines for these groups as well as quantifying the differences between two national populations. Significant differences between the Israeli and Italian high school science students in the total score and those of five subscales of the CCTDI have been found, the largest on the OpenMindedness and Self-Confidence subscales. The overall scores of high school and university science students on the CCTDI in both countries were essentially the same, with quite a similar pattern in the corresponding disposition profiles. Although the CCTDI can be reliably used for establishing base-line differences between science student populations, the effect of a specific approach to teaching (e.g. HOCS-orientation vs traditional) on the stability or change of this aspect of critical thinking remains an open question.     

The complexities in fostering critical thinking through school-based curriculum innovation: research evidence from Singapore

Abstract

Singapore’s strong performance in international benchmarking studies – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) – poses a conundrum to researchers who view Singapore’s pedagogy as characterized by the teaching of facts and procedures, and lacking in constructivist learning principles. In this paper, we examine the impact of different curriculum innovations on critical thinking as measured by the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Assessment – UK (WGCTA-UK). This includes two innovations that are subject-specific and short-term, one that strongly infuses the arts into the curriculum throughout the whole course of study, and the innovation of the Integrated Programme (IP) which allows academically stronger students to skip the GCE “O” Levels and enter directly into the next level of education, with the time previously allocated to exam preparation now spent on greater breadth in the academic and non-academic curriculum. This paper takes the sociocultural approach to investigate the contexts, process, and outcomes, reports the state of critical thinking, and sheds light on how critical thinking is being promoted. Through our analysis, we find support for the claim that only curriculum that is rigorously designed to foster critical thinking competencies will reap the intended student outcome.     

The relationship between perceived learning and satisfaction with college: An alternative view

Student and alumni reports of learning and development during college play an important role in research on educational outcomes. An intriguing finding of this research is the positive relationship between perceived learning and satisfaction with college. While studies have documented an association between perceptions of learning and satisfaction, the nature of the relationship is not clearly defined. This study evaluates two competing models of perceived learning and satisfaction. The first model represents a true relationship between learning and satisfaction, while the second treats the relationship as an artifact of a halo effect. Data came from subjects who completed learning and satisfaction questions as seniors and again two years after graduation. Analyses revealed that treating the learning-satisfaction relationship as an artifact of a halo effect provided the best representation of the data. Although not conclusive, results suggested that educational researchers and assessment practitioners should be careful in interpreting self-reports of learning and development, particularly as they relate to satisfaction with college.Presented at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Atlanta, Georgia, May 10–13, 1992.