Examination of critical thinking, creative thinking and communication skills of undergraduate students of higher education

Purpose: The primary aim of the research is to determine the levels of communication skills, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills among undergraduate students in higher education. Additionally, the study aims to examine the factor of class level to identify the development of students in these three skills at the university. The investigation also aims to assess the effectiveness of courses in enhancing communication skills, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills by examining students' course attendance. The research is expected to contribute to the literature by examining different variables such as gender, class level, course attendance, faculty, and university changes. Method: In this study, a quantitative approach was employed, and the Communication Skills Scale, Marmara Creative Thinking Skills Scale, and Marmara Critical Thinking Skills Scale were utilized. The research sample consisted of students from various faculties, including health sciences, education, literature, science, tourism, economic and administrative sciences, and theology, enrolled during the 2021-2022 academic year at Necmettin Erbakan University and Selçuk University in Konya, as well as Eskişehir Osmangazi University in Eskişehir. Quantitative analyses of the research data were conducted using the SPSS 21 program, with independent t-tests and ANOVA for normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests for non-normally distributed data. Findings: The results of the study indicate that sub-dimensions of communication skills, including effective listening, non-verbal communication, and communication principles and basic skills, as well as sub-dimensions of critical thinking skills, such as open-mindedness, and sub-dimensions of creative thinking skills, such as courage, differ according to the gender variable. It is observed that sub-dimensions of communication skills, specifically communication principles and basic skills, sub-dimensions of the critical thinking skills scale, including evidence searching and reasoning, and sub-dimensions of creative thinking tendencies, such as self-discipline, courage, skepticism, and flexibility, differ based on class level. The research examines whether there is a difference among undergraduate students' faculties in terms of the three skills. Significant differences were found in the Communication Skills Evaluation scale's sub-dimensions of communication principles and basic skills, and self-expression, in the critical thinking skills from reaching judgments and evidence searching sub-dimensions, and in the sub-dimensions of creative thinking skills, including the innovation search sub-dimension, self-discipline, skepticism, flexibility, and courage, based on the variable of the faculty students are enrolled in. When examining the class variable for faculties regarding communication skills, specifically focusing on being in the 1st or 4th year, students attending the tourism faculty were found to have higher scores in the Communication Skills Evaluation scale's sub-dimension of self-expression for 4th-year students compared to 1st-year students. In the Critical Thinking Skills scale, differentiation was observed in the tourism, economic and administrative sciences faculty in terms of being in the 1st or 4th year. Similarly, in the Creative Thinking Skills scale, differences were identified among students in the economic and administrative sciences faculty and the science faculty concerning being in the 1st or 4th year. Furthermore, variations were detected in the levels of communication skills, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills sub-dimensions based on students' course attendance. The research also found relationships between sub-dimensions of communication skills, critical thinking skills, and creative thinking skills. Additionally, the study identified sub-dimensions of the three skills that predict each other. Moreover, differences in sub-dimensions of these three skills were observed among universities. Results and Recommendations: Based on the findings of the research, it is suggested that university curricula related to the mentioned three skills be reviewed. Making courses focusing on these skills mandatory and practical, along with providing seminars and training for educators, would contribute to the development of communication skills, creative thinking, and critical thinking skills, which are essential 21st-century skills. Keywords: Critical thinking, Communication, Creative thinking, 21st. century skills