INFLUENCES AFFECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

This study estimates the relative and unique effects on changes in cri tical thinking of three dimensions of students' college experience: cu rricular exposure, formal classroom and instructional experiences, and out-of-class experiences. Students' classroom/instructional and out-o f-class experiences both make positive, statistically significant, and unique contributions to gains in critical thinking above and beyond s tudents' precollege characteristics and level of critical thinking. Th eoreticians have long speculated that students' academic and nonacadem ic experiences jointly influence change, and this study supports that belief. The design and instruments in this study may be of interest to persons involved in assessment or the study of college impact.