Critical Thinking Dispositions in the University Student Population: A Narrative Synthesis of the Concept

Experts in the field of critical thinking (CT) make a conceptual distinction between CT skills and dispositions. While CT skills are the cognitive abilities to think critically, CT dispositions are the ingrained habits and attitudes that motivate individuals to apply those skills in given situations. Despite the rapid growth of CT research over the past three decades, most work has concentrated on CT skills rather than dispositions. Hence, there is a lack of consensus on the dispositional dimension, specifically how it is measured and how it can be nurtured by educators. This chapter addresses how CT dispositions have been defined in the literature. A systematic review methodology was used to search Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO databases from 1988 to 2022. Of 1014 records screened, 63 met the inclusion criteria. Findings were synthesised to create a single conceptual framework comprising 26 distinct dispositions. While our framework shows strong alignment with previous models, it adds new knowledge by highlighting the role of affective components, such as empathy. The framework provides a unified basis for advancing research, assessment, and pedagogy for CT dispositions in education settings. Moreover, critical evaluation of current measurement instruments reveals limited coverage and highlights the need for more comprehensive tools.