Classification of Higher-Order Thinking Skills of the Teachers Based on Institution, Seniority, and Branch with Discriminant Analysis

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the variations between higher-order thinking skills (critical, creative, and empathetic thinking) of the teachers based on institution, branch, and professional seniority. The study data were collected from 345 teachers with the Critical Thinking Tendency Scale, Marmara Creative Thinking Aptitudes Scale, and Basic Empathy Scale, and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the data. The data were analyzed with discriminant analysis. The study findings demonstrated that there were significant differences between the critical, creative, and empathetic thinking skills of the teachers based on the institution of employment, their seniority, and their branch. The analysis of the discriminant functions revealed that the most discriminatory variables were empathy based on the institution and creative thinking based on seniority and branch. It was determined that the teachers employed in pre- and primary schools with less than 15 years of seniority scored higher in critical thinking skills, and teachers who were employed in middle schools with 16 years or more seniority scored higher in creative thinking skills. Foreign language teachers scored higher in both thinking skills. Finally, the mean empathy skill scores of the teachers employed in pre- and primary schools with 15 years or less seniority in the common branch were higher.