DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS AMONG HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THAILAND

Abstract

This research paper addresses the imperative task of fostering critical thinking skills and dispositions among higher education students in Thailand. The primary objective of this study was to identify essential critical thinking skills and dispositions through an extensive review of existing literature. Subsequently, an instrument was developed to assess the current levels of these skills and dispositions among students. To further enhance the critical thinking abilities of the students, a tailored intervention program was designed to empower students to create their own improvement strategies. The methodology involved rigorous data analysis and reduction techniques to distil essential skills and dispositions from the existing literature. The Item objective congruence and expert opinions were then integrated into the development of the assessment instrument. This instrument was administered to a sample of 400 bachelor’s degree students from four distinct universities in Thailand. A focus group study was conducted to refine and tailor the intervention strategies. The key findings of this research demonstrated that the intervention had a profound and statistically significant impact on enhancing various critical thinking skills and dispositions, except for academic assertiveness. Moreover, a noteworthy correlation was identified between critical thinking skills and dispositions and the students' performance on standardized tests such as the IELTS and SAT EBRW scores. This study underscores the importance of nurturing critical thinking skills and dispositions among higher education students in Thailand, offering valuable insights into effective interventions for fostering these skills. The results also highlight the relevance of critical thinking abilities to standardized test scores, emphasizing their broader significance in the academic and professional realms.-