Measurement approaches in assessing critical thinking for professional practice and management

Richard Hicks, Queensland University of Technology
Gregory Southey, Queensland University of Technology

Article comments

Richard Hicks and Gregory Southey (1995) Measurement approaches in assessing critical thinking for professional practice and management.

Journal of Applied Social Behaviour Vol. 1, No. 2, 1995.

Pulished by the School of Social Science: Queensland University of Technology.

Reproduced with permission © Copyright Richard Hicks and Gregory Southey.

Abstract

Extract

There has been a growing emphasis placed on competencies and their assessment in the management and professional arenas. The effectiveness of award restructuring, training programs, performance management and career path development can be related at some level to required competencies. However, accurate measurement and appraisal of competencies is not necessarily straightforward. This paper takes one competency, critical thinking, which is generic to most levels of professional practice and management and discusses the problems faced in assessing critical thinking performance for selection purposes. Early research by the authors on the use of the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal to assess critical thinking in the Australian setting is cited (Hicks & Southey, 1990a; 1990b; 1992; Hicks, Southey & Tegg, 1992), and brief reference made to other approaches or devices used to assess critical thinking.