Developing instrument to measure critical thinking abilities of Thai undergraduate students
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Abstract
Thailand’s National Qualifications Framework emphasizes critical thinking in higher education. However, assessing Thai students’ critical thinking skills is challenging without a Thai-language version of the widely recognized Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). A culturally adapted assessment is needed to eliminate language barriers. This study aimed to develop a Thai critical thinking test based on the WGCTA format to assess undergraduate students’ skills. To address this issue, the study adopted the design-based research (DBR) framework. In stage 1 of the DBR process, analysis revealed the need for a critical thinking test for Thai undergraduates. Stage 2 involved developing a Thai-translated version, and stage 3 piloted the prototype with 52 participants. This article presents the pilot study results. The findings showed low reliability of the instrument, limiting its effectiveness as a measurement tool. The factors included the high degree of homogeneity among the test group, the inappropriate difficulty level of the test items, and hence inefficiencies in the test’s ability to distinguish between high-performing and low-performing test takers. These insights are critical for informing subsequent revisions to ensure that the instrument becomes a reliable and valid tool for assessing Thai students’ critical thinking.
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