The bidirectional relationship between critical thinking and academic achievement is independent of general cognitive ability: A three-year longitudinal study on elementary school children

• Published in: Learning and individual differences Vol. 120; p. 102666
• Main Authors: Lv, Xiaojing, Zhou, Jiabi, Ren, Xuezhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.05.2025
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Critical thinking skills; Fluid intelligence; Working memory; Critical thinking skills; Academic achievement; Working memory; Fluid intelligence
• ISSN: 1041-6080
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102666

This three-year longitudinal study investigated the dynamic interplay between critical thinking skills and academic achievement as reflected in subject-specific knowledge in upper elementary students over time, also considering the covariate of general cognitive ability. The sample consisted of 160 fourth-grade students. Using the random intercept cross-lagged panel model, results indicated a moderately positive correlation between critical thinking skills and academic achievement at the between-person level. At the within-person level, both academic achievement and critical thinking skills positively predicted each other, and the predictive strength is not significantly different. Moreover, these cross-lagged relationships demonstrated stability even after controlling for general cognitive ability. These results suggest a bidirectional predictive relationship between critical thinking skills and academic achievement, enriching the theoretical discourse on their interaction and providing insights for educational interventions aimed at enhancing students' critical thinking skills. The research demonstrates that critical thinking skills and academic achievement maintain a bidirectional predictive relationship, which operates independently of general cognitive ability. The results inspire educators to consciously cultivate children's critical thinking skills while teaching them domain knowledge. It is recommended that educators incorporate the cultivation of critical thinking skills into routine curriculum design and instructional practices to adequately support both the cognitive development and knowledge expansion needs of students. The bidirectional relationship between critical thinking skills and academic achievement is independent of general cognitive ability: A three-year longitudinal study on elementary school children. •The relation between critical thinking and academic achievement was studied over three years.•General cognitive ability was considered as a time-varying covariate for the relation.•Critical thinking was moderately related to academic achievement at the between-person level.•Critical thinking and academic performance predicted each other at the within-person level•The cross-lagged relationships showed stability after controlling for general cognitive ability.