Cultural Differences in Critical Thinking Style: A Comparison of U. S. and Chinese Undergraduate Agricultural Students

摘要

This study aimed to compare critical thinking styles between students studying agriculture in theU.S. and China. A survey of critical thinking styles was administered to two groups of students inU.S. (n = 104) and China (n = 103). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was appliedto determine if there were significant differences in critical thinking styles between the twogroups. Results indicate that U.S. students tended to prefer an engaging critical thinking style,whereas Chinese students tended to prefer an information seeking critical thinking style. Thesedifferences between critical thinking style preferences may be explained by students’ culturalbackgrounds. This study can help agricultural educators understand the differences in criticalthinking style preferences among culturally-diverse students. Further, it provides empiricalevidence to guide agricultural educators seeking to adopt effective pedagogical approaches tocultivate critical thinking among students from diverse cultural backgrounds. This study providesfresh insight into the individualism and collectivism theory by explaining the cross-culturaldifferences in critical thinking style between U.S. and Chinese agricultural students.