Improving critical thinking of teacher–trainees through a strength-based program: a positive psychology approach

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine how well a strength-based program grounded in positive psychology principles can advance the practical critical thinking skills of those pursuing the teacher training course. Design/methodology/approach This study used a single-group pre-test post-test design with 35 teacher-trainees from the Bachelor of Education course. The two-and-a-half-week strength-based program used the values in action survey to identify strengths. Pre- and post-test scores, measured with the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z, underwent Statistical Package for Social Sciences analysis including paired samples t-test for subcomponent and overall composite analysis. Findings Analysis of the pre- and post-test scores demonstrated a statistical significance in the critical thinking scores obtained by the teacher-trainees. Post-test scores were consistently significant. Out of the elements of critical thinking, induction, meaning, observation and credibility were more prominent. Deduction and assumption identification were also having a significant effect. Originality/value Most critical thinking programs focus on evaluating specific teaching methods for improving critical thinking skills. In education, positive psychology studies often center on students’ well-being, attention spans and academic success, aligning with wellness programs. Despite the importance of strengths in positive psychology, there is a lack of research on using a strength-based approach to boost critical thinking skills. This study aims to enhance teacher-trainees’ critical thinking by leveraging their individual strengths, moving away from traditional instructional strategies.

In recent years, there has been much interest in the development of thinking skills in the education circles in Malaysia. Nevertheless, more effort needs to be placed on providing skills in developing the critical thinking literacy level of English as a second language (ESL) secondary school students, and its implication on the practice of teaching and learning. This is especially so for rural secondary school students. This paper presents findings of a preliminary case study which analyzes the critical thinking literacy level of twenty students of a rural secondary school in Malaysia as measured by the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTTX). Overall, the findings show that students struggled to answer the critical thinking questions posed in the CCTTX. The analysis point to the fact that students encountered problems with questions on ‘judging what is assumed in an argument’ section of the standardized critical thinking test. Interview responses from students revealed that they found the 71-item-test challenging to answer. Despite the national education agenda to develop world-class thinkers, our study suggests that there appears to be a lack in exposure to thinking-based activities in Malaysian classrooms Keywords: Rural ESL secondary school students, critical thinking, Cornell Critical Thinking Test

This study investigates the critical thinking skills of 50 students currently enrolled in the Master's TEFL Programme at Yarmouk University, Jordan. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level Z is utilised to test the students' use, or lack thereof, of the critical thinking skills of deduction, semantics, credibility, induction, definition and assumption identification, and assumption identification. The effect of the variables of gender, age and grade point average on the students' critical thinking abilities is also investigated. The findings reveal that the respondents performed quite poorly on the test. Gender, age and grade point average were all found to have an effect. Male students outperformed female students. However, while older male students outperformed younger ones, younger female students outperformed their older counterparts. Respondents with higher grade point averages scored better on the test. The findings have implications for TEFL education in Jordan and other similar contexts. As teachers can be highly influential in creating a classroom environment that promotes critical thinking, they need to be informed about the importance of developing their students' critical thinking skills. To make this possible, EFL teachers should be allowed pre-service and in-service training opportunities to encourage the development of critical thinking.

"The Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) level Z is a broadly applied instrument for the measurement of undergraduate, gifted students’ and adults’ critical thinking abilities, however, there is a lack of studies in the literature investigating its factorial structure. The test developers emphasize the interpretation of the test results as a general critical thinking factor, including different cognitive abilities, but also highlight the overlap between the items of the subfactors. The aim of the study is the investigation of internal consistency, the comparison of different factorial structures (unidimensional, correlated, and hierarchical models), and gender invariance testing of the CCTT level Z. Hungarian-speaking undergraduate students participated in the study (N = 825). For the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) the Mplus version 8.7, with weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted estimation was used. Measurement invariance of the test across genders was analyzed using Muthén’s two-step procedure for dichotomous data. The results indicated that the correlated four-factor and second-order structures of the test exceeded the acceptable model fit criteria. Post hoc inspection was conducted on the second-order four-factor model, indicating a shortened 22-item version of the test (with a general critical thinking factor, including four subfactors: deduction, meaning and fallacies, induction, assumption identification) with excellent fit indices [χ2 (203) = 259.309, CFI = .967, TLI = .963, RMSEA = .018, SRMR = .056]. Configural and scalar invariance of the abbreviated Hungarian version of the test across genders were confirmed. Keywords: critical thinking, undergraduate students, confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance"

There are many programs which purport to teach thinking skills. If thinking skills of reasoning, logic, explaining, judging, and deciding can be taught, are there some ways to teach thinking that are more effective than other ways? The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Paideia seminars on the critical thinking skills of seventh grade students. Paideia seminars are discussions held in a seminar format and involve active participation on the part of students and teachers. The format for the Paideia seminars was taken from The Paideia Proposal: An Educational Manifesto (Adler, 1982). There were four main hypotheses divided into subgroups by gender and ability levels of high, average, and low. The hypotheses addressed the results of the analysis of the pretest and posttest data of experimental and control group students on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level X, and the significance of the mean gain scores. The results of the quantitative data were inconclusive. The experimental group made significant gains in critical thinking skills in comparison to one control group but not to the second control group. Students in the low ability groups made greater mean gains in critical thinking skills than either the average or high ability group students. The mean gain scores of females in the experimental group were significant when compared to the mean gain scores of males in the experimental group on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test, Level X. The qualitative data from interviews of the two seminar teachers and the students in the experimental group provided more conclusive evidence of the worth of participation in Paideia seminars. Both the teachers and the students expressed positive attitudes and provided feedback on successful aspects of the seminars. Teachers of the experimental group students learned the skills necessary to facilitate Paideia seminars which promoted critical thinking skills. The debriefing which followed each seminar experience helped these teachers increase their skills in assessing, organizing, and questioning. Students who participated in the Paideia seminars stated that the experience of reading and discussing a piece of literature helped them to better understand the text, improved their grades in writing assignments, promoted better study and work habits, and increased their willingness to accept the points of view espoused by other students.

The aim of the research is to investigate the relationship between student teachers' citizenship skills and their critical thinking skills. The New Turkish Primary Curriculum aims at educating pupils with pre-requisite skills and knowledge that are necessary for operating efficiently in a knowledge based society. There has been a shift in policy with the curriculum both in terms of its structure and its philosophy from a€Eœcreating good citizens' to a€Eœempowerment'. The teachers will be the agents for the proposed shift to occur in schools and in pupils' hearts and minds. That is why it is important that teachers themselves should be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge. In order to predict whether those aims will be realized or not, it is important to know whether teachers have those knowledge and skills. Thus, the question of whether there is relationship with citizenship qualifications and critical thinking skills will be investigated through student teachers. This study employs a survey research method. In order to collect data two different research tools are used. The data on student teachers' citizenship skills were gathered through a a€EœCitizenship Qualifications Scale' developed by Yucel, Acun, Demirhan and Goz. The scale has to parts. First part contains questions on demographic information about teachers and teachers' professional practice. Second part of the scale includes question/statements to determine teachers' level of knowledge on citizenship themes, level of their behaviors and level of their importance attribution on the same themes. Those themes are categorized as a€EœActive Citizenship', a€EœEnviromental Issues', a€EœEconomy and Consumer Rights', a€EœGlobal Issues', a€EœDemocracy: Equality and Respect' and a€EœSociety and Individual'. In order to obtain information on their level of knowledge, behaviors and importance attribution on those 6 categories, 94 items were formulated. In order to measure the level of student teachers' critical thinking skills, the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z (CCTTLZ) developed by Ennis and others and adopted into Turkish by Akar, Acun, Gulveren and Yucel was employed. Cornell Critical Thinking Tests consists of two measurement tools, the first one is Level X and the second one is Level Z. The Level X is designed to be used for the students attending grades 4-14. On the other hand, the Level Z appropriate to be used to measure the thinking skills of talented secondary school students and bachelor degree students or those in graduate level. Considering the age and education level of the participants, the Level Z test was used in this study. The sample of this study consisted of 82 first year student teachers studying in the Faculty of Education in Usak University. According to the research findings, student teachers' level of information/knowledge on various aspects of citizenship, their citizenship behaviors and the importance they attribute to citizenship are all in quite high level. The findings also show that there is an average level of relationships between student teachers' citizenship skills and their critical thinking skills.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Visual Questioning Cycle Strategy (VQCS) in enhancing the critical thinking skills of eighth-grade students. The research addressed the problem of developing higher-order thinking among middle school learners through structured inquiry methods. While previous literature has explored the value of inquiry-based strategies in promoting student engagement, limited studies have assessed the specific impact of VQCS on measurable critical thinking outcomes. A quasi-experimental, non-comparative design involved 19 students from a first block science class at Albemarle Road Middle School. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level X was used to evaluate students’ critical thinking skills before and after the VQCS intervention. Demographic surveys and feedback instruments were used to assess perceptions and classroom effectiveness. The findings indicated a statistically significant improvement in students’ critical thinking performance. Multiple regression analysis revealed that language, race, and ethnicity were significantly related to critical thinking gains, whereas age and gender were not. Teacher and student feedback further supported the instructional value of VQCS, with high mean ratings indicating positive reception. The results suggest that VQCS is a promising pedagogical strategy for cultivating critical thinking and promoting inclusive learning environments. Its application across content areas may help bridge achievement gaps and foster deeper, more analytical learning among middle school students.

Speech-language pathologists use critical thinking on a daily basis to identify, evaluate, and implement evidence-based practices with their clients. Currently, however, there are minimal data describing the critical thinking of undergraduate students in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Without these data, it is unclear if and how students’ critical thinking differs at various points during their pre-service training. In the present study, we used the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z to describe the general critical thinking skills of 142 undergraduate students enrolled in two lower- (n = 95) and upper- (n = 47) level courses at a single university. We found no statistically significant differences between these two groups on the CCTT regarding their overall critical thinking performance (p = .068) or their skills of induction (p = .970), deduction (p = .160), observation (p = .384), assumptions (p = .342), or meaning interpretation (p = .155). Upper-level students, however, did consistently score slightly higher than their lower-level counterparts. Faculty should continue to develop undergraduate students’ critical thinking during their course of study. Although critical thinking appears to develop over the course of students’ undergraduate careers, formal instruction might be necessary to develop the skills necessary for successful practice as speech-language pathologists.

Abstract: The Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) is one of the many multiple‐choice tests with validated questions that have been reported to measure general critical thinking (CT) ability. One of the IFT Education Standards for undergraduate degrees in Food Science is the emphasis on the development of critical thinking. While this skill is easy to list as a student‐learning objective, measuring gains in CT is relatively difficult. If the majority of the class time is spent discussing and solving ill‐defined problems, then will students become actively and meaningfully involved in their own learning and will there be any gains in CT skills? To measure gains using this format, the CCTT was administered as a pre‐ and posttest to Food Science and Human Nutrition students in an Experimental Foods class taught every fall over an 8 y period (2001–2008). Statistical analysis indicated that in 2 of the years (2002 and 2004), there were significant gains (P values 0.036 and 0.045, respectively) in CT scores. Furthermore, in both years, there were significant gains in the same 2 aspects of CT (deduction and assumption) and not in the other aspects. However, we suggest that completing several take‐home exams with many open‐ended questions, writing detailed laboratory reports, and documenting unsolicited student reflections in journal entries that comment on apparent gains in CT skills may be a better indication of actual gains in CT skills compared to the actual CCTT test scores.

One of the cornerstones peculiar to the outcomes-based approach adopted by the South African education and training sector is the so-called ‘critical outcomes’. Included in one of these outcomes is the ability to think critically. Although this outcome articulates well with the cognitive domain of holistic development, it also gives rise to some concern. One area of concern deals with cultivating learners’ critical thinking skills. Research indicates that these higher order thinking skills are unlikely to develop simply because of maturation and that they are notoriously difficult to teach and learn. In two independent studies, the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z and the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal were administered to gauge the critical thinking abilities of teacher education students. The research results obtained from the two studies will be briefly discussed as evidence that there is a dire need to nurture learners’ critical thinking abilities. The concept learning-oriented assessment (LOA) will be interrogated and it will beindicated how LOA could possibly contribute in developing students’ critical thinking skills.

Abstract. Critical thinking is a broad term that includes core elements such as reasoning, evaluating, and metacognition that should be transferred to students in educational systems. The integration of such skills into models of student success is increasing on an international scale. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test is an internationally used tool to assess critical thinking skills. However, limited validity evidence of the translated versions of the instrument exists to support the inferences based on the CCTT scores. This study examined the CCTT Turkish version. Specifically, translated items were examined for measurement equivalence by determining if items function differently across students from United States and Turkey. Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis via logistic regression was employed. Results demonstrated that each subtest contained DIF items and 10% of the items in the instrument were identified as DIF. Mean differences between students in each country were not influenced by these items. A critical content review of the translated item gave insight as to why items may be functioning differently.

Objective This study aims to assess the impact of LearnGuide, a specialized ChatGPT tool designed to support self-directed learning among medical students. Materials and methods In this 14-week randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06276049), 103 medical students were assigned to either an intervention group, which received 12 weeks of problem-based training with LearnGuide support, or a control group, which received identical training without AI assistance. Primary and secondary outcomes, including Self-Directed Learning Scale scores at 6 and 12 weeks, Cornell Critical Thinking Test Level Z scores, and Global Flow Scores, were evaluated with a 14-week follow-up. Mann-Whitney U tests were used for statistical comparisons between the groups. Results At 6 weeks, the intervention group showed a marginally higher median Self-Directed Learning Scale score, which further improved by 12 weeks (4.15 [95% CI, 0.82 to 7.48]; p = 0.01) and was sustained at the 14-week follow-up. Additionally, this group demonstrated notable improvements in the Cornell Critical Thinking Test Score at 12 weeks (7.11 [95% CI, 4.50 to 9.72]; p < 0.001), which persisted into the 14-week follow-up. The group also experienced enhancements in the Global Flow Score from 6 weeks, maintaining superiority over the control group through 12 weeks. Conclusions LearnGuide significantly enhanced self-directed learning, critical thinking, and flow experiences in medical students, highlighting the crucial role of AI tools in advancing medical education.

Critical thinking (CT) can be described as the conscious process a person does to explore a situation or a problem from different perspectives. Accurate measurement of CT skills, especially across subgroups, depends in part on the measurement properties of an instrument being invariant or similar across those groups. The assessment of item-level invariance is a critical component of building a validity argument to ensure that scores on the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) have similar meanings across groups. We used logistic regression to examine differential item functioning by sex in the CCTT-Form X. Results suggest that the items function similarly across boys and girls with only 5.6% (4) of items displaying DIF. This implies that any mean differences observed are not a function of a lack of measurement invariance and supports the validity of the inferences drawn when comparing boys and girls on scores on the CCTT.

Although critical thinking (CT) is generally acknowledged as an important aim of higher education, no validated instrument to assess CT in Dutch is available. Moreover, most instruments are validated on a broad sample with people of diverse educational backgrounds. This possibly hampers the reliability of assessing effects of instructional interventions within educational programmes, where diversity is less. This study investigates the psychometric quality of a translation of the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (CCTT) and the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (HCTA) in a sample of Dutch speaking freshmen majoring in educational sciences. Results show a higher content validity and preference by students for the HCTA. The CCTT, however, takes less time to administer and score, which makes it easier to use the CCTT on a larger scale. Neither of the two tests shows a high overall reliability. The strength of the correlations between the constructed-response items and the forced-choice items of the HCTA with the CCTT calls for further research on the precise relation between CT skills and dispositions and the ability of the HCTA to assess both independently.

Social workers require critical thinking skills to analyse situations which present themselves in the course of professional work and in making decisions about the most appropriate forms of social work intervention. The 4-year Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of Newcastle, Australia, introduced an intensive instructional unit on critical thinking at the beginning of the final year of the course. The Cornell Critical Thinking Test, the Ennis—Weir Essay Test and a qualitative student self-appraisal were administered to students in the fourth year of the degree prior to the intensive instructional unit on critical thinking and again after the unit had been completed. From the results it was concluded that explicit and concentrated instruction on critical thinking assisted social work students to improve their critical thinking abilities and to identify principles of critical thinking.