Critical Thinking and Student Well-Being: An Approach in University Students

Abstract

Human well-being is a dynamic and changing concept as it depends on personal, social, cultural, and political factors and varies over time according to individual circumstances. Therefore, it is essential to address this issue from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach, seeking that individuals, from an early age, manage to develop skills and attitudes that allow them to achieve a balance in their lives. This article presents the results of the measurement of students’ perceived achievement of the competence of complex thinking in a subject focused on human development. Specifically, the research sought to identify whether there is a relationship between the level of critical thinking and the acquisition of skills associated with human well-being. The selection of critical thinking is based on the fact that this cognitive ability is one of the subcompetencies included in complex thinking. The sample was a group of university students from different disciplines and educational levels. Methodologically, descriptive analyses were made on the means of students’ responses to a validated instrument measuring the perceived achievement of complex thinking competency and its subcompetencies and the final evaluations of the students’ course. In conclusion, an improvement in the perception of achievement of complex thinking competency and its subcompetencies is demonstrated in the students, with critical thinking that achieved the best means, its increase being significant for the whole group and for women but not for men. In this sense, although it was not possible to demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between the development of this subcompetency and the acquisition of tools associated with well-being, data showing a possible association between these elements were obtained.

A Mixed Study of Beliefs about Critical Thinking in a Sample of Trainee Teachers in Argentina and Spain

“…I am able to accept responsibility for my actions when I make a mistake. 13 It should be borne in mind that, in degree curricula, this CT competency does not appear as a subject of study, except in degrees related to education, so the knowledge-a priori-of the students analyzed was, where existing, mainly derived from self-training actions. The reliability of the scale of beliefs about CT was acceptable (α = 0.72).…”

“…The role of CT has been investigated as a prerequisite for the development of good citizenship through a critical reading of the problem of hatred in societies [11]; as a crucial competence that enables responsible behavior and a critical attitude toward balanced and adequate financial management [12]; as a possible element associated with the wellbeing of people, both individually and socially [13]; as a much more comprehensive element for understanding the world and taking action than visions based on intelligence per se [14]; as a key skill that guarantees the competitive advantage of organizations [15]; as a catalytic element in the face of the irruption of artificial intelligence [16]; as a key component in higher education to prepare future professionals for both today's and the upcoming competitive labor markets [17]; as a fundamental skill, together with academic self-efficacy, that can regulate generalized anxiety and dissatisfaction with studies [18]; and as an element that contributes to the achievement of goals in both careers and higher education and may be more important than professional content knowledge [19]. CT, along with the ability to interact in an appropriate and positive way, has become an essential element of employability for many industries [20]; it can be a generator of psychological distress when mindfulness is low, although it has positive associations with cognitive functioning [8].…”