The Effect of Out-of-Classroom Experiences on Critical Thinking Disposition Among College Students

Abstract

Institutions of higher education have long been regarded as centers of knowledge creation and dissemination. Although, more recently, colleges and universities are facing greater accountability for student learning as a result of crippling student loan debt projections and staggering retention rates. Critical thinking is in the company of many skills found to be deficient in college graduates. Simultaneously, critical thinking is among the most sought-after qualities among employers (National Association of Colleges & Employers, 2017). This problematic dichotomy presents a need to better understand how critical thinking is being taught in college. Much of the literature focuses on critical thinking as an outcome of classroom instruction while the impact of out-of-class experiences is largely neglected. This survey-based study employed the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI) to identify which out-of-classroom experiences have a singular and collective effect on critical thinking dispositions among graduating seniors at a public 4-year institution. Participation in internships, study abroad, service-learning, living-learning communities, club leadership, club membership, and employment was studied. The study offers promising data that suggest seniors are, in fact, disposed to critical thinking upon graduation. Correlation and multiple regression analyses revealed that several out-of-classroom activities had a positive effect on at least one critical thinking disposition. Among them were research with faculty, club membership, and employment. Interestingly, studying abroad was found to have a negative effect on students’ disposition toward intellectual curiosity. Only two out-of-classroom experiences were found to have a combined effect on critical thinking disposition—conducting research with faculty and holding employment for more than 20 hours per week. Findings of this study have implications for faculty, staff, and administrators alike. Looking ahead, institutions are encouraged to enhance students’ learning opportunities by leveraging student employment, incentivizing faculty-student research, and partnering with local employers.