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Journal of Business Ethics
Published in: Journal of Business Ethics 1/2015

01-04-2015

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: Ability, Motivation, Intervention, and the Pygmalion Effect

Authors: Larry W. Howard, Thomas Li-Ping Tang, M. Jill Austin

Published in: Journal of Business Ethics | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Using a Solomon four-group design, we investigate the effect of a case-based critical thinking intervention on students’ critical thinking skills (CTA). We randomly assign 31 sessions of business classes (N = 659 students) to four groups and collect data from three sources: in-class performance (CTA), university records (ACT, GPA, and demographic variables), and Internet surveys (learning and motivational goals). Our 2 × 2 ANOVA results showed no significant between-subjects differences. Contrary to our expectations, students improve their critical thinking skills, with or without the intervention. Female and Caucasian students improve their critical thinking skills, but males and non-Caucasian do not. Positive performance goals and negative mastery goals enhance and decrease improvements of their CTA scores, respectively. ACT and age are related to pre- and post-test. Gender (male) is related to pre-test. GPA is related to post-test. Results shed light on the Pygmalion effect, the Galatea effect, ability, motivation, and opportunity as signals for human capital, and business ethics.
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Footnotes
1
Parents set a visible SMART goal: “Look at the Harvard sweatshirt (your goal) on the wall. You can wear it when you are qualified to wear it at Harvard” (the Pygmalion effect). It takes time to internalize the vision, obtain good test scores, and get accepted into Harvard (the Galatea effect).
 
2
Only about 48 % of students graduated from the university within 5 years.
 
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Metadata
Title
Teaching Critical Thinking Skills: Ability, Motivation, Intervention, and the Pygmalion Effect
Authors
Larry W. Howard
Thomas Li-Ping Tang
M. Jill Austin
Publication date
01-04-2015
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Journal of Business Ethics / Issue 1/2015
Print ISSN: 0167-4544
Electronic ISSN: 1573-0697
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2084-0

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