著者
南 保輔 古川 良治 都築 幸恵 新垣 紀子 中村 國則
出版者
成城大学
雑誌
コミュニケーション紀要 (ISSN:02887843)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.26, pp.87-98, 2015-03

Teaching critical thinking skills is among the top priorities for higher education in Japan and the United States. Ennis (1987) divides critical thinking skills into two types: dispositions and abilities. In Japan, Hirayama and Kusumi (2004) have developed a Japanese measurement called the Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CTDI). This measurement consists of four subscales with 33 items. The responses are made using a five-point Likert scale. In four studies at a small private university in the Japanese metropolitan area, the CTDI was administered to more than 400 undergraduate students. Among the four subscales, the average highest rating was the score for "inquiry-mind" and the lowest score was for "self-confidence for logical thinking." These results hold true for the four studies, while the order of the other two subscales of "objectiveness" and "evidence-based judgment" varied among the four studies. In one study, about 50 students worked on the Wason selection task. Their performance was poor when the content of the task was purely logical and abstract, but the performance was much better when it was an everyday and pragmatic task, as argued by D'Andrade (1995). Those who successfully solved the everyday, real task rated themselves higher on the CTDI and higher on the subscale for "self-confidence for logical thinking." This constitutes a basis for the measurement validity of the CTDI.Teaching critical thinking skills is among the top priorities for higher education in Japan and the United States. Ennis (1987) divides critical thinking skills into two types: dispositions and abilities. In Japan, Hirayama and Kusumi (2004) have developed a Japanese measurement called the Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CTDI). This measurement consists of four subscales with 33 items. The responses are made using a five-point Likert scale. In four studies at a small private university in the Japanese metropolitan area, the CTDI was administered to more than 400 undergraduate students. Among the four subscales, the average highest rating was the score for "inquiry-mind" and the lowest score was for "self-confidence for logical thinking." These results hold true for the four studies, while the order of the other two subscales of "objectiveness" and "evidence-based judgment" varied among the four studies. In one study, about 50 students worked on the Wason selection task. Their performance was poor when the content of the task was purely logical and abstract, but the performance was much better when it was an everyday and pragmatic task, as argued by D'Andrade (1995). Those who successfully solved the everyday, real task rated themselves higher on the CTDI and higher on the subscale for "self-confidence for logical thinking." This constitutes a basis for the measurement validity of the CTDI.