Year: 2019 | Month: August | Volume 10 | Issue 2
Higher-Order Thinking among Professional Students of Punjab in Relation to Gender and Course Experience
DOI:10.30954/2230-7311.2.2019.1
Abstract:
Professional education includes specialised training by incorporating enhanced knowledge and skills necessary for responsible entry into professional practice. It is designed to impart students with the competencies to be evaluative, creative and innovative. This is the base of higher-order thinking skills-- critical thinking and self-regulation. Thus, the present study was carried out with an aim to investigate higher-order thinking in terms of critical thinking and self-regulation among professional students of Punjab in relation to gender and course experience. The data were collected via the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). MSLQ and CEQ items were administered through a survey on a sample of 200 undergraduate professional students (95 Males and 105 Females) pursuing professional courses at Punjabi University, Patiala. The data were analysed using the two-way analysis of variance. The results revealed no statistically significant gender differences in critical thinking and self-regulation of professional students of Punjab. Also, it was found that the professional students having low and high level of course experience did not differ significantly in higher-order thinking i.e. critical thinking and self-regulation. Thus, it may be concluded that gender and course experience, neither independently nor conjointly, explain critical thinking and self-regulation of professional students of Punjab. However, it may be pointed out that professional students have shown moderate level of critical thinking and above average level of self-regulation. In other words, higher-order thinking skills among professional students need to be explored further for its causation and enhancement.
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