A systematic-narrative review of performance-based assessments of critical thinking in higher education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19378552 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Heidi Hyytinen (0000-0002-5078-1429, University of Eastern Finland, corresponding author), Martta Jämsä (University of Eastern Finland), Tarja Tuononen (0000-0001-9168-4185, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Centre for University Teaching and Learning (HYPE), University of Helsinki), Katri Kleemola (0000-0002-9274-9718, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Centre for University Teaching and Learning (HYPE), University of Helsinki) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 1293-1310 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0260-2938 • E-ISSN: 1469-297X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02602938.2025.2553341 |
| OpenAlex | W4414043352 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 38 |
Critical thinking encompasses a complex interplay of cognitive skills, knowledge, and dispositions. In this systematic-narrative review, we analyze performance-based assessments of critical thinking in higher education. The aim is to explore how prior peer-reviewed empirical studies conceptualize and assess critical thinking, the methods and frameworks employed, and the specific aspects measured. A total of 28 articles from 2013 to 2023 were included in the analysis. The findings indicate that the majority of studies utilized open-ended performance tasks to measure critical thinking, while selected-response tasks were less common. There was no consistent theoretical framework referenced across the studies. Most studies defined critical thinking as a skill or a set of skills, with some also emphasizing the importance of disposition. The skill-based perspective was also emphasized in the measured aspects, with evaluation and inference as the most frequently assessed skills. None of the reviewed studies explicitly expressed dispositions in their targets of assessment. The results revealed misalignment between the definition of critical thinking and performance-based assessments of critical thinking. Future directions for these assessments are discussed
Critical thinking · Evaluation methods · Higher education · Qualitative research · Teaching method · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies · Online and Blended Learning
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Problematising the equivalence of the test results of performance-based critical thinking tests for undergraduate students
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Qualitative Content Analysis
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |