The Effectiveness of Critical Thinking Skills Training on Academic Creativity and Satisfaction with Education among High School Students in Tehran

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of critical thinking skills training on academic creativity and satisfaction with education among high school students in Tehran. The study aimed to determine whether teaching critical thinking skills could enhance students' academic creativity and increase their satisfaction with education. This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. Thirty high school students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (15 students) and a control group (15 students). The experimental group participated in ten 60-minute sessions of critical thinking skills training, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using academic creativity and satisfaction with education questionnaires at three stages: pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (five months after the intervention). The data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The results indicated that critical thinking skills training significantly improved both academic creativity and satisfaction with education in the experimental group. The mean scores for academic creativity and satisfaction with education increased from pre-test to post-test and follow-up in the experimental group, while no significant changes were observed in the control group. The results of ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed significant differences between groups and across different stages of the assessment. This study demonstrated that critical thinking skills training can effectively enhance academic creativity and satisfaction with education among high school students. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating active and participatory teaching methods in schools, showing that critical thinking education can lead to improved academic performance and increased student motivation.