The reliability and construct validity of the critical thinking disposition scale

Abstract

The Critical Thinking Disposition Scale guided by the literature of ways of knowing concept was applied for the first time in Thailand in 2013 on the study conducted by Poondej, Koul, and Sujivorakul but still needed to be validated. The purpose of the present study was to expand on previous finding by evaluating construct and factorial validity of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale. This scale consisted of 20 items measuring the four-factor structure of a critical thinking disposition (cynical, analytical, empathic, and pluralistic disposition). The participants of this study were 488 undergraduate students in Thailand. To measure the internal consistency of the factors, we conducted reliability estimates. In terms of construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the validity. The results confirmed the validity of the four-factor structure of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale which would be a useful tool for educators and scholars for measuring the tendencies toward particular patterns of thinking critically. © 2015, Universitatea din Oradea. All rights reserved.