Use of metacognitive strategies in high and low critical thinking performance: A think-aloud approach

Abstract

The need to cultivate students metacognitive strategies in critical thinking processing has been emphasized by several researchers. The present study examined the role of metacognitive strategies in critical thinking. 138 Chinese undergraduate students were assessed on verbal-cognitive ability (WAIS-III), critical thinking disposition, and critical thinking performance using Halpern s Critical Thinking Assessment Using Everyday Scenarios (HCTAES). Subsequently ten participants with comparable cognitive ability, critical thinking disposition and academic achievements, but with different levels of critical thinking performance were retested on thinking tasks with think-aloud procedures. Results indicated that good critical thinkers used more high-level planning and high-level evaluating strategies after controlled for their cognitive ability, disposition and school achievement.