Comparison of Critical Thinking Types between Groups and Pairs

Abstract

This quantitative study investigated how different types of critical thinking are associated with group work and pair work among 174 university students using a questionnaire with 44-item under three sections. Findings show learners most strongly apply evaluative and people-oriented thinking skills when solving complex problems and judging others’ ideas. Collaborative communication is highly characterised by shared goals, trust and learning from mistakes in group work, meanwhile explanation, idea exchange and shared responsibility are strongest in pair work. Strong positive relationships were found between critical thinking and group work (r=.651) as well as pair work (r=.573), with no significant differences across academic clusters. The results indicate that both collaborative formats support critical thinking through complementary interaction patterns. The findings further reveal that learners demonstrate consistent use of thought-oriented, action-oriented and people-oriented thinking across collaborative contexts. Group work encourages collective problem solving, flexible processes and mutual trust, while pair work promotes focused dialogue, knowledge construction and shared responsibility between partners. Overall, the patterns suggest that collaborative learning environments provide supportive conditions that stimulate higher order thinking, communication and engagement among university learners. These results reinforce the importance of carefully designed collaborative tasks that balance interaction structure and learner participation in different learning situations across university classrooms and academic courses in higher education contexts today and beyond globally for diverse learners worldwide today effectively and efficiently. The study suggests that deliberately structured group and pair activities should be integrated across disciplines to enhance students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills in higher education settings.