Identifying and Leveling the Barriers of Critical Thinking Based on Study Culture in Teenagers

This study aims to identify and rank barriers to critical thinking based on adolescents' reading culture. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, it employed qualitative-quantitative methods. First, thematic analysis with MAXQDA software (2018) helped extract the dimensions, components, and indicators of critical thinking barriers, based on theoretical frameworks and expert opinions. The factors were then ranked using the Interpretive Structural Modeling. Results reveal that the study’s dimensions include personality traits, psychological characteristics, intrinsic values, school culture, and economic challenges. Key components are core values, risk aversion, individualism, cognitive bias, inflexibility, lack of focus, acceptance of critical thinking, intolerance of ambiguity, weak critical thinking skills, lack of educational needs assessment, lack of a supportive environment for critical thinking, school core values, and low family and school funding per capita. The ranking model shows that the primary barriers—risk aversion, individualism, cognitive bias, inflexibility, lack of focus, acceptance of critical thinking, intolerance of ambiguity, weak critical thinking skills, lack of a supportive environment, and low school funding—are positioned at the first level. Family income per capita and core school values occupy the second level, while core values and the lack of educational needs assessment rank at the third and fourth levels, respectively.
Keywords: Critical Thinking, Study Culture, Identification and Leveling, Teenagers, Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM)
 
Introduction
One of the issues that has consistently occupied the minds of thinkers throughout history is "thinking." Experts have identified various aspects of thinking, one of which is critical or evaluative thinking. In the realm of education, attention to thinking holds greater significance because the ultimate aim of education is to enable individuals to engage in clear and logical thinking and constructive thought, allowing them to address the problems and challenges of life and to organize past experiences to draw conclusions for future success. In this context, students equipped with critical thinking skills can apply their scientific knowledge effectively and bring it into practice. Today, educational approaches are more inclined towards critical thinking than ever before; reliance on memory and the mere use of memorized information in the educational system has diminished. Instead, the ability of students to analyze, evaluate, and interpret information has garnered considerable attention. Research findings in the fields of thinking and problem-solving indicate that the implementation of teaching thinking and problem-solving significantly impacts students’ progress and performance. Therefore, thinking activities should be regarded as an integral part of daily education across all subjects. Based on the findings, we can conclude that teaching thinking and problem-solving has a positive correlation with students' academic achievement. Consequently, the educational system should focus on creating opportunities to cultivate the thinking skills of adolescents rather than simply transferring information through textbook content. Moreover, appropriate, precise, and purposeful study must also be considered. Those who acquire the necessary skills in studying are able to express their opinions confidently and are never apprehensive about articulating their thoughts. They can explain their issues without error or hesitation, which prevents frustration in social settings and lays the groundwork for their success and happiness. Therefore, the goal of this research is to identify and rank the barriers to critical thinking based on a culture of study among adolescents.
 
Materials and methods
This study is applied in terms of its objectives and falls within the realm of descriptive studies in terms of its nature. The research method is based on a mixed approach, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods within a deductive-inductive paradigm. Accordingly, the study first utilized qualitative methods based on content analysis, employing interviews and coding of the interview data to identify the barriers. In the subsequent step, the identified barriers were ranked using quantitative methods. The qualitative population studied in this research consisted of all university professors in the fields of educational management, school psychology, educational sciences, and experts in the field of education with at least 20 years of work experience in these areas. In total, based on purposeful and theoretical sampling methods, interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached, and the interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. In this regard, the MAXQDA software was employed. In the quantitative section of the research, the ranking of barriers was conducted using data obtained from a questionnaire based on Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Subsequently, in the final stage, MICMAC analysis was performed. The statistical population in the quantitative section consisted of experts in the field of education, from which 20 individuals were selected as the research sample using purposeful sampling. The validity of the questionnaires was evaluated using the relative content validity method, while reliability was assessed based on the test-retest method. The relative content validity of the questionnaire in this study was estimated at 0.67, based on the expert opinions of 10 knowledgeable individuals regarding the research topic, indicating the validity of the questionnaire. Additionally, the correlation of responses based on the test-retest method yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.78, indicating the satisfactory reliability of the questionnaire. For assessing reliability, the test-retest method was utilized, with the questionnaire being resent to university professors and experts after a four-week interval. A correlation of responses between the two phases needed to exceed 0.7 for the reliability of the questionnaire to be confirmed. A correlation of 79% was achieved, thereby confirming the reliability of the questionnaire.
 
Result
The findings indicate that the dimensions of the research include: personality traits, psychological characteristics, intrinsic values, school culture, and economic issues. The components identified comprise core values, risk aversion, individualism, intellectual bias, inflexibility, lack of focus, acceptance of critical thinking, intolerance for ambiguity, weak critical thinking skills, lack of educational needs assessment, absence of a supportive environment for critical thinking, core school values, and low income and per capita of families and schools. Furthermore, the research model's ranking showed that the core codes of risk aversion, individualism, intellectual bias, inflexibility, lack of focus, acceptance of critical thinking, intolerance for ambiguity, weak critical thinking skills, lack of a supportive environment for critical thinking, and low school income and per capita are positioned at the first level. Additionally, the core codes of low family income and core school values are at the second level, while core values and lack of educational needs assessment rank third and fourth, respectively.
 
Conclusion :
This research suggests that the development of critical thinking skills is influenced by various factors. The results indicate that key factors such as risk aversion, individualism, and intellectual bias are recognized as major obstacles to enhancing critical thinking among students. Moreover, the findings align with previous research and demonstrate that factors related to culture and economics significantly impact the formation of critical thinking skills. To apply the results obtained from this study, it is essential to first carry out necessary local adaptations concerning the specific temporal and spatial contexts in which the results are to be utilized, ensuring that the applications of the findings are accurate and valid. This study can serve as a comprehensive and innovative investigation for further work and research in the field of critical thinking based on a culture of study among adolescents. It can be asserted that the first step in developing and promoting a model of critical thinking rooted in study is to assess our current position and ensure that practical strategies are appropriately implemented within the proposed model.