Effect of Critical Thinking on Decision Making Efficacy of Students at Senior Secondary Level

Abstract

In the era of information explosion, people are mostly being characters in the global arena of multiple affairs. The students as the future citizens should be prepared to face the arena of multifaceted affairs in different aspects of life. The trend of information generation is mostly caused by rising probability of incessant problems that everyone treads footsteps either to overcome it or be a victim to it. The most important survival strategy is to develop the ability of making decision effectively. This ability is found to be catalyzed by critical thinking skill of an individual. Decision making is an important algorithm in solution of divergent problems that adolescent students are constantly encountering. This paper is meant for exploring correlation between Critical Thinking and Decision-making ability and the effect of critical thinking ability on decision making for resolving problems. This study was conducted on a sample size of 50 male and 50 female Students of two Senior-Secondary schools situated in urban and rural areas in the District of Hooghly in West Bengal, India. Quantitative analysis of data was done by finding coefficient of correlation and regression between critical thinking ability and decision-making ability and also by finding difference in decision making ability in respect of Gender and Critical Thinking ability. The result showed a significant positive correlation and regression between Critical Thinking and Decision-making ability of Senior Secondary Students. A significant difference was also observed in Decision-making ability in respect of Critical Thinking ability and Gender.