Vol 59 (1), Mar 2015

 

Background information may provide useful indication of ability to think critically and aid instructors in fostering the critical thinking process. Descriptive factors that may predict critical thinking ability include: age, gender, grade point average (GPA), classification and extracurricular activities. The focus of this study was to quantify the critical thinking ability of animal science students and determine what differences in their demographic information exist. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) exam provided means to objectively measure critical thinking ability of students enrolled in required animal science courses. Each student completed a questionnaire determining demographic information. Several demographic characteristics demonstrated higher scores on the WGCTA; students in the 18-20 age range (P = 0.0039), those who reported ≥ 3.5 GPA (P = 0.003) and those who had evaluation experience in an organized youth or collegiate judging team or participated in an evaluation course (P = 0.00067). Gender and classification do not appear to accurately describe critical thinking ability. Important considerations for educators include encouraging critical thought from all students, regardless of age. Further, an evaluation course is an important component of animal science curricula and early evaluation experience in programs such as 4-H and FFA may be beneficial when developing critical thinking skills.