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Measuring changes in critical thinking skills among university economics students: insights from domain-specific assessment.

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Title: Measuring changes in critical thinking skills among university economics students: insights from domain-specific assessment.
Authors: Tarasova, Ksenia (AUTHOR), Gracheva, Daria (AUTHOR), Talov, Daniil (AUTHOR), Orel, Ekaterina (AUTHOR), Dementiev, Andrei (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Mar2026, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p649-664. 16p.
Subjects: Critical thinking, Economics education, Evaluation methodology, Hypothesis, Educational evaluation, Higher education, Academic achievement
Abstract: This study investigates the development of critical thinking (CT) skills in first-year university students enrolled in the Economic Thinking course, using a newly developed domain-specific CT assessment tool. Critical thinking is a vital competency for navigating complex decision-making in modern life, particularly in professional domains like economics. While many CT assessment tools treat the skill as generic, this study emphasizes the importance of subject-specific approaches, highlighting the need for validated tools tailored to economics students. The study introduces a conceptual framework for measuring CT in economics, developed through collaboration with experts and educators. Using an Evidence-Centered Design methodology, a domain-specific, computer-based tool was created to assess CT skills in economics. The research addressed two key questions: (1) How do students' CT skills change after completing the course, as measured by the domain-specific tool? (2) What is the relationship between CT skills, economic knowledge, and academic performance? Undergraduate students were assessed before and after the course. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in CT skills (effect size: 0.44 SD) over the semester. Correlation analyses revealed moderate relationships between CT scores, academic performance, and prior economic knowledge, supporting the tool's validity. This study underscores the value of domainspecific tools for assessing and fostering critical thinking in discipline-specific contexts, contributing to the broader discourse on CT development in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Measuring changes in critical thinking skills among university economics students: insights from domain-specific assessment.
– Name: Author
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tarasova%2C+Ksenia%22">Tarasova, Ksenia</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gracheva%2C+Daria%22">Gracheva, Daria</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Talov%2C+Daniil%22">Talov, Daniil</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Orel%2C+Ekaterina%22">Orel, Ekaterina</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dementiev%2C+Andrei%22">Dementiev, Andrei</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p649-664. 16p.
– Name: Subject
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+thinking%22">Critical thinking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Economics+education%22">Economics education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Evaluation+methodology%22">Evaluation methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hypothesis%22">Hypothesis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+evaluation%22">Educational evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+achievement%22">Academic achievement</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigates the development of critical thinking (CT) skills in first-year university students enrolled in the Economic Thinking course, using a newly developed domain-specific CT assessment tool. Critical thinking is a vital competency for navigating complex decision-making in modern life, particularly in professional domains like economics. While many CT assessment tools treat the skill as generic, this study emphasizes the importance of subject-specific approaches, highlighting the need for validated tools tailored to economics students. The study introduces a conceptual framework for measuring CT in economics, developed through collaboration with experts and educators. Using an Evidence-Centered Design methodology, a domain-specific, computer-based tool was created to assess CT skills in economics. The research addressed two key questions: (1) How do students' CT skills change after completing the course, as measured by the domain-specific tool? (2) What is the relationship between CT skills, economic knowledge, and academic performance? Undergraduate students were assessed before and after the course. Results demonstrated a significant improvement in CT skills (effect size: 0.44 SD) over the semester. Correlation analyses revealed moderate relationships between CT scores, academic performance, and prior economic knowledge, supporting the tool's validity. This study underscores the value of domainspecific tools for assessing and fostering critical thinking in discipline-specific contexts, contributing to the broader discourse on CT development in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=192007619
RecordInfo BibRecord:
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        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2484423
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        Text: English
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      – SubjectFull: Economics education
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      – SubjectFull: Evaluation methodology
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            NameFull: Tarasova, Ksenia
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              M: 03
              Text: Mar2026
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              Y: 2026
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