{"id":{"repo_id":"heriot-watt","oai_identifier":"oai:ros.hw.ac.uk:10399/5235"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/heriot-watt/oai:ros.hw.ac.uk:10399/5235","repository":{"repo_id":"heriot-watt","name":"Heriot-Watt University","base_url":"https://www.ros.hw.ac.uk/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Conceptualising, developing and evaluating critical thinking skills in higher education : a Malaysian perspective","abstract":"This mixed-methods research contributes to the enhancement of teaching and learning critical thinking (CT) skills in higher education, with broader implications for the Malaysian educational context. First, students and educators co-produced descriptions of CT skills with improved readability and clarity (as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid metric) compared to existing descriptions that have previously been widely used in education research. Second, these descriptions were employed in a survey of Malaysian undergraduate student groups. Students rated all CT skills as relatively important, with no meaningful differences across discipline or study year. Third, to enhance students’ self-efficacy in analysis and self-regulation skills, an intervention combined argument mapping with explicit instruction of the CT skills, evaluating the effect of delivery mode (in-person workshop versus online self-paced module). The selection of these two skills was driven by students’ feedback during a preliminary focus group study, where they were recognised as both important and underdeveloped. Mixed ANOVA results showed significant improvements in students’ self-efficacy in the two targeted CT skills, with no significant differences between delivery mode nor interactions with time. Qualitative feedback from a subset of participants provided meaningful insights into their post-intervention perceptions and experiences. Collectively, these studies offer valuable insights into making CT education more accessible and effective for diverse student populations.","abstract_html":"This mixed-methods research contributes to the enhancement of teaching and learning critical thinking (CT) skills in higher education, with broader implications for the Malaysian educational context. First, students and educators co-produced descriptions of CT skills with improved readability and clarity (as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid metric) compared to existing descriptions that have previously been widely used in education research. Second, these descriptions were employed in a survey of Malaysian undergraduate student groups. Students rated all CT skills as relatively important, with no meaningful differences across discipline or study year. Third, to enhance students’ self-efficacy in analysis and self-regulation skills, an intervention combined argument mapping with explicit instruction of the CT skills, evaluating the effect of delivery mode (in-person workshop versus online self-paced module). The selection of these two skills was driven by students’ feedback during a preliminary focus group study, where they were recognised as both important and underdeveloped. Mixed ANOVA results showed significant improvements in students’ self-efficacy in the two targeted CT skills, with no significant differences between delivery mode nor interactions with time. Qualitative feedback from a subset of participants provided meaningful insights into their post-intervention perceptions and experiences. Collectively, these studies offer valuable insights into making CT education more accessible and effective for diverse student populations.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Soo Toh, Seng San"],"institution":"Heriot-Watt University","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Hall, Professor Deborah","Salden, Doctor Ron","Lansdown, Doctor Terry"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-04","date_published":"2025-04","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:07Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://www.ros.hw.ac.uk/handle/10399/5235","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Hall, Professor Deborah","Salden, Doctor Ron","Lansdown, Doctor Terry"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Soo Toh, Seng San"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-01-15T18:11:20Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-04"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Heriot-Watt University","Social Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://www.ros.hw.ac.uk/handle/10399/5235"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This mixed-methods research contributes to the enhancement of teaching and learning critical thinking (CT) skills in higher education, with broader implications for the Malaysian educational context. First, students and educators co-produced descriptions of CT skills with improved readability and clarity (as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid metric) compared to existing descriptions that have previously been widely used in education research. Second, these descriptions were employed in a survey of Malaysian undergraduate student groups. Students rated all CT skills as relatively important, with no meaningful differences across discipline or study year. Third, to enhance students’ self-efficacy in analysis and self-regulation skills, an intervention combined argument mapping with explicit instruction of the CT skills, evaluating the effect of delivery mode (in-person workshop versus online self-paced module). The selection of these two skills was driven by students’ feedback during a preliminary focus group study, where they were recognised as both important and underdeveloped. Mixed ANOVA results showed significant improvements in students’ self-efficacy in the two targeted CT skills, with no significant differences between delivery mode nor interactions with time. Qualitative feedback from a subset of participants provided meaningful insights into their post-intervention perceptions and experiences. Collectively, these studies offer valuable insights into making CT education more accessible and effective for diverse student populations."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Conceptualising, developing and evaluating critical thinking skills in higher education : a Malaysian perspective"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Hall, Professor Deborah","Salden, Doctor Ron","Lansdown, Doctor Terry"],"dc:creator":["Soo Toh, Seng San"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-01-15T18:11:20Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-04"],"dc:description.abstract":["This mixed-methods research contributes to the enhancement of teaching and learning critical thinking (CT) skills in higher education, with broader implications for the Malaysian educational context. First, students and educators co-produced descriptions of CT skills with improved readability and clarity (as measured by the Flesch-Kincaid metric) compared to existing descriptions that have previously been widely used in education research. Second, these descriptions were employed in a survey of Malaysian undergraduate student groups. Students rated all CT skills as relatively important, with no meaningful differences across discipline or study year. Third, to enhance students’ self-efficacy in analysis and self-regulation skills, an intervention combined argument mapping with explicit instruction of the CT skills, evaluating the effect of delivery mode (in-person workshop versus online self-paced module). The selection of these two skills was driven by students’ feedback during a preliminary focus group study, where they were recognised as both important and underdeveloped. Mixed ANOVA results showed significant improvements in students’ self-efficacy in the two targeted CT skills, with no significant differences between delivery mode nor interactions with time. Qualitative feedback from a subset of participants provided meaningful insights into their post-intervention perceptions and experiences. Collectively, these studies offer valuable insights into making CT education more accessible and effective for diverse student populations."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://www.ros.hw.ac.uk/handle/10399/5235"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Heriot-Watt University","Social Sciences"],"dc:title":["Conceptualising, developing and evaluating critical thinking skills in higher education : a Malaysian perspective"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:31:07Z"}