Self-direction, thinking skills and academic performance in Teachers’ College students

Abstract

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 showsthe results of researchon the relationshipamong the development of thinking abilities, self-direction and academicperformance. Theresearch used a quantitative, transversal, ex post factodesign, andtook place in a Teachers’ Collegein Mexico with first and last gradestudents. The three tools used to collect the data werethe students’ general averages; the CIPA+ to determine the self-directed profile, anda thinking skillstest. All data were analyzed using the Person correlation coefficient, pairing them in combinations of degree and profile. The results suggest acorrelation, albeit weak,among the variables.