An investigation of critical thinking disposition differences of university students together with their socio-demographic characteristics and personality traits: A case of a private uni̇versity

The aim of this study is to investigate critical thinking disposition of the students enrolled in Psychology and Turkish Language and Literature departments who receive critical thinking course and those enrolled in English Language Teaching and International Business departments who do not receive the same course. Socio-demographic characteristics and personality traits of the students were also considered in examining their critical thinking disposition differences. The study also aims to examine whether there are significant differences between critical thinking disposition differences of the students, their departments, grades, personality traits and other variables (grade, gender, department, education levels of their parents, the time they spend on reading newspapers, frequency of watching TV, their parents' attitudes, entering scores for their departments, scholarship status and their family income level) The sample of the study consisted of 365 junior and senior students—245 of whom were female and 120 were male—enrolled in the departments of Psychology, Turkish Language and Literature, English Language Teaching and International Business departments in the 2017-2018 academic year at Çağ University in Mersin. The data of the study were collected using California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), Quick Big Five Personality Test (QBFPT) and the Sociodemographic information form prepared by the researcher. Parametric values were analyzed using the Independent Sample t-test or the One-Way ANOVA test. The Mann-Whitney U or the Kruskall Wallis test was used in the analysis of non-parametric variables. Categorical variables were analyzed using the Chi-square test. The findings of the study showed that students of Psychology and Turkish Language and Literature departments who received critical thinking course had higher levels of critical thinking disposition than those of English Language Teaching and International Business who did not have critical thinking course (p= 0,001). There were significant differences between the total and subscale scores of CCTDI of the senior students of Psychology and Turkish Language and Literature departments compared to the junior students at the same departments (p=0,000). However, there were no significant differences between the total and subscale scores of CCTDI of the junior and senior students of English Language Teaching and International Business departments (p= 0,335). The study found that as the students' CCTDI scores increased, the scores of QBBFT also increased (r=0,206, p=0,000). There were relationships between the subscale scores of CCTDI and those of QBBFT.