Critical Thinking and Personality Among Agricultural Undergraduate Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.v67i1.3206Keywords:
Critical Thinking, Personality, UFCTI, undergraduate agriculture students, agricultural educationAbstract
Critical thinking (CT) is an important 21st-century skill that enables individuals to question evidence, make sound decisions, and revise beliefs when warranted. Personality refers to the enduring traits, characteristics, and behavior patterns that distinguish individuals and shape their cognitive-processing dispositions. Understanding how personality traits influence CT style remains under-analyzed. The purpose of this study was to examine how undergraduate students’ personalities predict their CT styles. A descriptive, correlational survey of undergraduate agricultural students used the Big Five personality model and the University of Florida Critical Thinking Inventory (UFCTI). Descriptive statistics were conducted to establish personality and CT style trends; Pearson correlations and simple linear regressions examined predictive relationships. Openness was the sole significant predictor of the Seeker score, explaining 40% of its variance (R² = .40). Openness, conscientiousness, and extraversion together predicted Engager scores, accounting for 49% of the variance (R² = .49), and indicating the composite nature of the Engager style. Agreeableness and emotional stability showed no unique effects. Results suggest that agricultural educators can improve CT instruction by aligning learning activities to CT style tendencies: information-rich, independent inquiry for high-openness Seekers and collaborative, discussion-based tasks for Engagers high in conscientiousness and extraversion.
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