A1 Journal article (refereed)
How do self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ critical thinking performance? (2024)

Hyytinen, H., Nissinen, K., Kleemola, K., Ursin, J., & Toom, A. (2024). How do self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ critical thinking performance?. Studies in Higher Education, 49(1), 192-205. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2227207

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Hyytinen, Heidi; Nissinen, Kari; Kleemola, Katri; Ursin, Jani; Toom, Auli

Journal or series: Studies in Higher Education

ISSN: 0307-5079

eISSN: 1470-174X

Publication year: 2024

Publication date: 21/06/2023

Volume: 49

Issue number: 1

Pages range: 192-205

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2227207

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/88189

Abstract

Critical thinking is a multifaceted construct involving a set of skills and affective dispositions together with self-regulation. The aim of this study was to explore how self-regulation and effort in test-taking contribute to undergraduate students’ performance in critical thinking assessment. The data were collected in 18 higher education institutions in Finland. A total of 2402 undergraduate students at the initial and final stages of their bachelor degree programmes participated in the study. An open-ended performance task, namely the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) International, was assigned to assess students’ critical thinking, and a self-report questionnaire was used to measure self-regulation and effort in test-taking. Information on test-taking time was also utilised in the analysis. The interrelations between the variables were analysed with correlations and structural equation models. The results indicate that self-regulation in test-taking has only indirect effects on critical thinking performance task scores, with effort and time as mediating variables. More precisely, planning contributed to critical thinking performance indirectly through test-taking time and effort, while monitoring had no significant relation to critical thinking performance. The findings did not differ between the initial-stage and final-stage students. The model explained a total of 36% of the variation in the critical thinking performance task scores for the initial-stage students and 27% for the final-stage students. The findings indicate that performance-based assessments should be carefully designed and implemented to better capture the multifaceted nature of critical thinking.

Keywords: critical thinking; self-regulation (psychology); students

Free keywords: critical thinking; self-regulation in test-taking; performance task; test-taking effort; test-taking time; performance-based assessment

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2023

Preliminary JUFO rating: 3