Bridging the school-university transition: improving the critical thinking skills of pre-tertiary psychology students

Abstract

The aim of this doctoral thesis was to design, implement, and evaluate a domain-specific, school-based critical thinking intervention to enhance the psychological critical thinking ability of pre-tertiary psychology students, thereby facilitating their transition to degree-level psychology. A mixed-methods approach guided the research, structured as a multiphase sequential mixed methods design comprising four interconnected phases. Phase 1 explored A-level psychology teachers' and university lecturers' perspectives on critical thinking instruction through semi-structured interviews, revealing significant institutional and pedagogical barriers. Phase 2 employed a causal-comparative design to examine changes in students' critical thinking skills, motivation, and perceptions across six education levels, highlighting the complexity of skill development and the impact of prior education. Phase 3 focused on the intervention's design, implementation, and evaluation, assessing its impact on year 13 A-level psychology students' critical thinking ability using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a non-equivalent control group. Phase 4 qualitatively evaluated the intervention’s long-term effectiveness through interviews with teachers and students post-transition to university.
The synthesis of cross-phase insights highlight the necessity for a paradigm shift in A-level psychology education, moving away from a narrow focus on exam outcomes toward fostering authentic critical thinking skills. The findings emphasize the need for educational reforms that support teacher autonomy, align interventions with curricula, and prioritize long-term cognitive development. This multiphase study contributes to the literature on critical thinking development by integrating diverse methodologies, theoretical perspectives, and practical recommendations to enhance psychology education, ultimately better preparing students for academic and professional challenges.

Date of Award	16 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Cumbria Lancaster University
Supervisor	Elizabeth Bates (Supervisor), Sally Elton-Chalcraft (Supervisor), Pete Boyd (Supervisor) & Paul Cammack (Supervisor)