An Investigation on Critical Thinking Tendency of the Turkish Teachers According to Some Variables

Oct 15, 2026

The study determines whether Turkish teachers’ critical thinking tendencies differ according to selected variables. The research group consists of 229 Turkish teachers employed in public schools in Turkey. A survey method within descriptive research is used, and teacher tendency is measured with the Marmara CTT Scale (CCI). The scale covers 6 factors and 28 items, with reliability coefficient of .91. Results show teachers’ critical thinking tendency at a good level, no significant gender, education level, or seniority links, and a positive effect of reading frequency.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Purpose and focus of the study

Definitions of critical thinking and critical thinking tendency

Role of education in developing critical thinking

Critical thinking in Turkish lessons and curricula

An Investigation on Critical Thinking Tendency of the Turkish Teachers According to Some Variables Faruk Kayman* Abstract The purpose of the research is to determine whether the critical thinking tendencies of Turkish teachers differ according to various variables. The research group contains 229 Turkish teachers working in Turkey’s public schools. In the research survey method was used, which is selected among descriptive research methods. The tendency of teachers was measured by a scale called“The Marmara CTT Scale (CCI)” developed for teachers and administrators by Özgenel and Çetin (2018). The scale involves 6 factors, 28 items and the general reliability coefficient was found tobe .91. In the end of the research, it was seen that Turkish teachers were at good level of CTT. It has been determined that there is no significant link between the gender, education level and professional seniority of Turkish teachers and their CTT. Furthermore, it was observed that the frequency of reading had an effect on the CTT of Turkish teachers. Accordingly, as the frequency of reading of the participants increased, the level of their CTT increased, too. The findings were discussed in the light of the studies in the literature and at the end, various recommends were given to the education stakeholders. Keywords: Turkish teacher, Critical thinking, Critical thinking tendency (CTT) . * Ministry of Education, Turkey. Email: [farukkayman@gmail.com](farukkayman@gmail.com) Introduction The ability of thinking is one of the basic skills that human beings have. Recognizing the problems encountered, identifying these problems and solving them is possible by thinking. Again, actions such as speaking, discussing, making various choices, and making decisions emerge with the influence and direction of thinking ability. In order to keep up with the developments experienced in this period when technology develops and information flows rapidly, and to ensure individual and social development, the thinking ability of the individual, which he or she has from birth, should be developed through education. As a matter of fact, modern education aims to raise effective individuals who think, can put their thoughts into practice, and thus contribute to individual and social development (Kürüm, 2002; Şen, 2009) . Again, in this understanding of education, it is the main purpose to raise individuals who can think critically, question the information he encounters, understand the difference between claims and proven facts, test the reliability of the information he has obtained, distinguish unrelated information, approach all kinds of information without prejudice, realize inconsistent judgments, ask effective questions, use oral and written language effectively.(Kökdemir, 2003; Öztürk & Ulusoy, 2008) . The fact that critical thinking varies according to the person and the subject makes it difficult to make a universal definition of critical thinking (Kelly, 2003) . While Ennis (1993) defines critical thinking as an individual's thinking rationally and deeply while making a decision about what he does or believes, McPeck (1981) defines it as the tendency or ability to reflect on information about a discipline and the content of that discipline with a skeptical perspective. In addition, Sönmez (2012) describes critical thinking as “a disciplined and self-controlled way of thinking to reveal perfect and complete thinking”. As it can be understood from the definitions, individuals who can think critically can question the problems or issues they encounter, define them logically, reveal their positive and negative sides, make various inferences about these problems or issues, and finally make a healthy and in-depth evaluation by using various high-level thinking skills. On the other side, individuals with the skill of critical thinking should also have a tendency to think critically in order to use this skill in appropriate situations. Actually, th

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the research?

To determine whether Turkish teachers’ critical thinking tendencies differ according to various variables.

How was critical thinking tendency measured in the study?

It was measured using the Marmara CTT Scale (CCI) developed for teachers and administrators by Özgenel and Çetin (2018). The scale includes 6 factors and 28 items.

Which variables were found to be significantly related to critical thinking tendency?

Reading frequency showed an effect: as reading frequency increased, critical thinking tendency increased. No significant link was found for gender, education level, or professional seniority.

Oct 15, 2026

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