An examination of the factors that influence children's ability to develop critical thinking skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate three distinct parts of college life, namely exposure to the curriculum, formal classroom and instructional interactions, and extracurricular activities, with the objective of determining the individual contributions of each of these factors to improvements in critical thinking. As proven by impacts that are both evident and statistically significant, the development of students' critical thinking skills is considerably enhanced by the experiences that they have both within and outside of the classroom. Furthermore, when students enter college, they bring with them a tendency for critical thinking in addition to the characteristics they have prior to attending college. The purpose of this research project is to give empirical data to back up the long-held belief that the interaction between the academic and extracurricular experiences of students has a positive impact on the students' personal growth and development. The approach and procedures that were utilized in this study may prove to be extremely beneficial to individuals who are engaged in the process of analyzing or evaluating the impact of college research.