Exploring university students’ perceived values of knowledge and critical thinking using triple-response mode assessment

Living in a post-truth era, we face a plethora of misinformation and difficulty finding the truth. The desire for truth in knowledge seeking could contribute to an individual’s critical thinking that is directed to maximize the probability of reaching a conclusion that would bring him or her closer to the truth (Halpern, 2003). The present study took an interest in the connection between perceived value of knowledge and proficiency in critical thinking among 199 university undergraduates. We administered the Scale of Perceived Epistemic Value and examined critical thinking ability using Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment (short-form; HCTA; Halpern, 2007), and participants’ reasoning of a hypothetical social issue using an essay task. The HCTA captures response of critical thinking in a dual-mode; forced-choice and an open-ended solution, whereas the essay task allows more elaborated and in-depth reasoning to be captured. Together a triple response-mode assessment of critical thinking was used to allow triangulation of results. Educational implications are discussed.