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Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: Ability, Motivation, Intervention, and the Pygmalion Effect

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  • Larry Howard
  • Thomas Tang
  • M. Jill Austin

Abstract

Using a Solomon four-group design, we investigate the effect of a case-based critical thinking intervention on students’ critical thinking skills (CTA). We randomly assign 31 sessions of business classes (N = 659 students) to four groups and collect data from three sources: in-class performance (CTA), university records (ACT, GPA, and demographic variables), and Internet surveys (learning and motivational goals). Our 2 × 2 ANOVA results showed no significant between-subjects differences. Contrary to our expectations, students improve their critical thinking skills, with or without the intervention. Female and Caucasian students improve their critical thinking skills, but males and non-Caucasian do not. Positive performance goals and negative mastery goals enhance and decrease improvements of their CTA scores, respectively. ACT and age are related to pre- and post-test. Gender (male) is related to pre-test. GPA is related to post-test. Results shed light on the Pygmalion effect, the Galatea effect, ability, motivation, and opportunity as signals for human capital, and business ethics. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

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  • Larry Howard & Thomas Tang & M. Jill Austin, 2015. "Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: Ability, Motivation, Intervention, and the Pygmalion Effect," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 133-147, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:128:y:2015:i:1:p:133-147
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-014-2084-0
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    Cited by:

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    2. Goodpasture James & Speece Mark & Cripps Jeremy, 2020. "An Analysis of Critical Thinking Skills amongst Business Students in Kuwait," Economics and Culture, Sciendo, vol. 17(1), pages 5-16, June.
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    5. Dwi Sulisworo & Fakhrunisyah Syarif, 2018. "The Utilization of Open Educational Resources in the Collaborative Learning Environment to Enhance the Critical Thinking Skill," International Journal of Learning and Development, Macrothink Institute, vol. 8(1), pages 73-83, March.
    6. Elodie Gentina & Thomas Li-Ping Tang & Qinxuan Gu, 2018. "Do Parents and Peers Influence Adolescents’ Monetary Intelligence and Consumer Ethics? French and Chinese Adolescents and Behavioral Economics," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(1), pages 115-140, August.
    7. Elodie Gentina & Thomas Li-Ping Tang & Qinxuan Gu, 2017. "Does Bad Company Corrupt Good Morals? Social Bonding and Academic Cheating among French and Chinese Teens," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 146(3), pages 639-667, December.
    8. Katarina Katja Mihelič & Barbara Culiberg, 2019. "Reaping the Fruits of Another’s Labor: The Role of Moral Meaningfulness, Mindfulness, and Motivation in Social Loafing," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 160(3), pages 713-727, December.
    9. Ningyu Tang & Jingqiu Chen & Kaili Zhang & Thomas Li-Ping Tang, 2018. "Monetary Wisdom: How Do Investors Use Love of Money to Frame Stock Volatility and Enhance Stock Happiness?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 19(6), pages 1831-1862, August.
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