Research Synthesis and Structural Equation Model Validation of Critical Thinking

Abstract

The purposes of this research were: 1) to synthesize the body of knowledge resulting from critical thinking research, 2) to develop and validate the critical thinking model, and 3) to develop and validate the causal model with factors affecting critical thinking. The 86 master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, and research reports related to critical thinking were subjects of this study. The undergraduate student samples for structural equation model validation consisted of 1,872-second year undergraduate students, selected through multi-stage random sampling from 90 classrooms in the 5 faculties and 7 fields of 3 Rajabhat Universities in Bangkok area. Questionnaires, tests, research quality evaluative form, and research characteristic coding form were employed for data collection. Meta-Analysis, content analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation model were employed for data analysis using SPSS, and LISREL programs. The results were as follows: (1) the results from meta-analysis indicated that factor affecting critical thinking were teaching method factors, student factors, and teacher factors, (2) student-level variables consisted of 4 interrelated variables; namely attitude, value, and behavior variables, cognitive skill variables, family variables, and personal variables, (3) teacher-level variables consisted of 4 interrelated variables; namely teacher characteristic variables, instructional behavior variables, teacher background variables, and learning environment variables, (4) the proposed structural equation model of critical thinking fit quite well with the empirical data set, (5) undergraduate student-level variables accounted for the variance of the critical thinking about 77%, emotional intelligence, internal locus of control, cognitive skills, and Thai ability significantly affected the critical thinking (total effects: TE = 1.50, -0.82, -0.58, 0.14 respectively), and (6) major-level variables accounted for the variance of the critical thinking about 30%, learning environment, teaching methods promoting critical thinking, and teacher characteristics significantly affected the student’s critical thinking (TE = 0.53, 0.46, 0.41 respectively).