Differences in critical thinking skills among students at Saudi universities” A comparative study between students at public and private universities

Abstract

The study aimed to identify individual differences in critical thinking skills among graduate students of the "science section" in public and private universities in Saudi Arabia. This was done on a sample of (550) male and female students, (280) male students, (270) female students from the science section, who were selected using a random sample method, using a scale of critical thinking skills prepared by the researcher. The study concluded in its results that all critical thinking skills and skills as a whole were at an average level except for the investigation skill, and the argumentation and logical reasoning skill were at a high level, and there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the effect of the gender variable in all critical thinking skills, and in the skills as a whole, and there were statistically significant differences in argumentation and logical reasoning, questioning, generating solutions, and mental perseverance at a significance level of (0.01) and skills as a whole at a level of (0.01) among students of the science section in public and private universities in favor of public universities, and there were no statistically significant differences in the skills (investigation, and decision-making) between students of the science section in public and private universities.