Abstract

ESCAMILLA PEREZ, Marco Antonio  and  HEREDIA ESCORZA, Yolanda. Self-direction, thinking skills and academic performance in Teachers’ College students. Diálogos sobre educ. Temas actuales en investig. educ. [online]. 2019, vol.10, n.19, 00012. ISSN 2007-2171.  https://doi.org/10.32870/dse.v0i19.492.

Cognitive and metacognitive abilities are essential for knowledge acquisition. In educative environments, knowing the level of development of these abilities is important, as well as determining whether these abilities are related to students’ academic performance. This paper shows the results of research on the relationship among the development of thinking abilities, self-direction and academic performance. The research used a quantitative, transversal, ex post facto design, and took place in a Teachers’ College in Mexico with first and last grade students. The three tools used to collect the data were the students’ general averages; the CIPA+ to determine the self-directed profile, and a thinking skills test. All data were analyzed using the Person correlation coefficient, pairing them in combinations of degree and profile. The results suggest a correlation, albeit weak, among the variables.

Keywords : self-direction; thinking skill; academic performance.