Comparative Analysis of Critical Thinking Skills Among University Students Across Study Years and Courses at the Faculty of Education, Ljubljana

Critical thinking, which integrates cognitive skills with emotional and motivational dispositions, is essential for professional competence and should be incorporated into undergraduate education. This study investigates the disparities in critical thinking skills among students entering the Faculty of Education, focusing on socioeconomic and educational backgrounds. Furthermore, it explores differences in critical thinking skills between students from two courses of study and between first-year and third-year students within each course. Using the Critical Thinking Assessment Test administered to 100 university students, significant differences were observed in first-year students' scores based on their secondary school background. No significant differences were found between first-year students of the two courses, although third-year students displayed notable differences. Overall, there was minimal improvement in critical thinking skills between the first-year and third-year students across both courses, except for one sub-test. The findings suggest the necessity for curriculum enhancements that explicitly foster critical thinking skills through varied content and teaching styles.