Motives for using critical thinking skills among gifted and non-gifted adolescent students

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the motives for using critical thinking skills among gifted and non-gifted students. A measure of motivation for using critical thinking skills prepared by Valenzuela & et al., 2011 was used, which includes two dimensions: motivation for use based on expectation and value. The results showed that the level of motives for using critical thinking skills among gifted students was high, while the level was medium among non-gifted students. The results also indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the dimension of expectation and the total degree of the motives of use due to gender in favor of male students. The study also found statistically significant differences in the dimensions (expectation, value) and the total score of the motives of use due to the classification of students (gifted or non-gifted) in favor of gifted students. The study recommended teachers and curriculum developers to find strategies and activities that would raise the level of motivation for critical thinking among non-gifted and female students.