Introduction
Critical thinking is an essential skill in the education of gifted individuals, enabling the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of complex information. This study aimed to assess the level of critical thinking among gifted students and investigate its relationship with demographic variables such as gender, age, grade level, preschool education, and parental educational level.
Methodology
A quantitative study was conducted with 203 students enrolled at the Science and Art Centre in Kütahya Province, Turkey, during the 2021-2022 academic year. Critical thinking dispositions were assessed using the Marmara Critical Thinking Dispositions Scale, which consists of 28 items distributed across six dimensions: judgment, judgment making, evidence seeking, truth seeking, open-mindedness, and systematicity. Data normality was confirmed by statistical analyses, and independent sample tests and one-way ANOVA were used to assess differences between groups.
Results
The findings indicate that:
Gender : Female students scored higher on the critical thinking scale, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.059).
Preschool education : No significant differences were observed in critical thinking scores between students who attended or did not attend preschool education (p = 0.558).
Age and school level : There was no statistically significant variation between the different age groups (p > 0.05). However, 7th grade students obtained significantly higher scores than those in 6th and 8th grades (p < 0.05).
Parental education : The mother’s educational level had a significant impact on students’ critical thinking. Children of mothers with a high school diploma or higher obtained higher scores than those whose mothers had only an elementary education (p < 0.05). The same pattern was presented for paternal educational level, although without statistically clear differences between the groups.
Discussion
The results suggest that critical thinking in gifted students is influenced by contextual factors such as parental educational level, while variables such as gender and age appear to have limited impact. The finding that 7th graders increased critical thinking skills may be related to specific teaching methods adopted during this school period.
The lack of significant impact of preschool education indicates that the development of critical thinking in gifted individuals may depend more on the subsequent educational structure and enrichment opportunities of early exposure to formal education.
Conclusion
This study reinforces the need for differentiated educational approaches to stimulate critical thinking in gifted students, especially considering the positive impact of higher parental educational levels. Furthermore, it is suggested that future research evaluate pedagogical strategies that maximize the critical potential of these students, contributing to the formulation of more effective curricula.
Reference :
UGULU, Ilker; KIVRAK, Emrullah; AKCICEK, Ekrem. Quantitative research on critical thinking skills of gifted/talented students . *MIER Journal of Trends and Practices in Educational Studies , v. http://doi.org/10/mais /2024.
