Creating Maeasure Critical Thinking and Problem - Solving of Mathayomsuksa 1 Students in the Secondary Educational Servicearea office Buriram

Abstract

          The current state of Thai society is in a crisis, resulting from intellectual weakness which leads individuals in society to lack critical thinking and misinterpret situations. Therefore, the Ministry of Education has set quality standards for students to develop higher-order thinking skills, enabling them to construct knowledge for decision-making and find correct solutions to problems. The objectives of this research were to: 1) develop a critical thinking and problem-solving measurement scale; 2) examine the quality of the critical thinking and problem-solving measurement scale; and 3) establish norms for the sample group. The sample consisted of 807 students in the first year of secondary school under the Secondary Education Service Area Office of Buriram. The instrument used was a measurement scale. The statistics used for analysis were confirmatory factor analysis and normally distributed T-scores. The research findings showed that the fit indices between the model and empirical data were as follows: Chi-square was not statistically significant ( = 210.47, df = 187, p–value = 0.12,  = 1.13, and RMSEA = 0.02, GFI = 0.94, AGFI = 0.90). The RMA value = 0.045 This indicates that the model has structural validity. The norms, expressed as normal T- scores, ranged from T20 to T77. The linear equation obtained was:   = 1.196X - 39.33 This indicates that the level of critical thinking and problem-solving ranged from weak to very good, with most students falling in the good category.

          Research examining the quality of measurement tools helps ensure that the instruments are accurate, reliable, and effective in measuring critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This allows for more concrete assessment of student skills, as well as effective development of teaching and learning and policy-making. This leads to the actual development of these skills, addressing current societal needs. Creating norms allows for clear and standardized interpretation of student scores, enabling educators to use these criteria to fairly and accurately assess students' ability levels. The assessment results can be used to effectively plan teaching and learning development and monitor student progress.