Comparison of critical thinking skills among students in humanities and applied mathematical fields of study

Introduction. The study of the humanities is often regarded as a primary avenue for developing critical thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of information. However, modern employers expect university graduates to possess not only these skills but also abilities in argumentation, innovation, decision-making, and problem-solving. This raises the question of whether contemporary methods and resources in humanities education are sufficient to cultivate a comprehensive set of competitive critical thinking skills among students.

Aim. The present research aims to examine the differences in critical thinking skills between students in the humanities and those in the natural and mathematical sciences.

Methodology and research methods. To compare the perceptions of the concept of “critical thinking” among students from different fields of study, a survey and a mini-essay were employed. A specially developed critical thinking test was utilised to assess the development of specific critical thinking skills. The study involved 1,543 students from two universities.

Results. A three-level taxonomy of critical thinking skills is presented. It is demonstrated that both teachers and students in the humanities primarily associate critical thinking with skills related to information processing and argumentation – skills that correspond to the first and second levels of the taxonomy. Humanities students have developed these skills to a higher degree than their counterparts in the natural sciences. In contrast, students in natural and mathematical disciplines also engage in higher-level skills such as hypothetical thinking, judgment formulation, decision-making, and problem-solving. These top-level skills are more effectively cultivated within the context of the natural sciences, particularly through the application of scientific methods. The characteristics of skills developed in different educational contexts exhibit notable differences.

Practical significance. To cultivate a comprehensive range of critical thinking skills, it is essential to integrate both humanitarian and applied mathematical disciplines. However, noncore disciplines must undergo transformation: when teaching humanities within applied-mathematical fields, the emphasis should be on developing skills related to information processing and argumentation. Conversely, when instructing applied-mathematical subjects in humanitarian contexts, the focus should shift to enhancing problem-solving skills.

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