Birinci Sınıf Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Eleştirel Düşünme ve Yaşamboyu Öğrenme Becerileri Arasındaki İlişki

Abstract

Freshman students’ critical thinking (CT) and lifelong learning (LLL) skills are often taken for granted. This can lead to tertiary education that is built on a weak foundation. In this paper, results of a small-scale study conducted to identify freshman students’ CT and LLL readiness levels and the correlation between them are explored. Participants included 87 freshman students with a mean age of 19 studying at a university in Abu Dhabi. Data were collected using two instruments developed by other researchers. Results indicate that students’ overall CT score are at the lower end, while their LLL score are slightly above the average. Female students’ CT and LLL scores are higher than male students’ score with differences at statistically significant levels. Also, there is a weak positive correlation between students’ overall CT and LLL scores. However, there is a moderate positive correlation between female students’ scores for CT and LLL. Recommendations are made in order to enhance students’ CT and LLL skills and strengthen the relationship between them.