Assessing Critical Thinking in K–12 Education: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Assessment in K–12 Schools

Abstract

As critical thinking (CT) is one of the most important 21st century competencies, there has been an increasing interest in researching how to assess CT. This study systematically reviewed 43 articles concerning CT assessments for K-12 students in terms of educational level, CT construct, assessment tool, and reliability and validity evidence. The results indicate that future research needs to pay more attention to the following aspects of CT assessment: (a) CT assessments for elementary school students; (b) CT disposition assessments; (c) utilizing technology and adopting multiple item formats in CT assessments according to the specific purposes; and (d) the psychometric quality evidence, especially the predictive validity.

Authors

• Weijie Mao, East China Normal University

• yunhuo Cui, East China Normal University

• Yue Yin, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Yi Wen, East China Normal University