Military Science and Tactics

Military Science and Tactics

"Assessment of university administrators Critical Thinking Based on Watson-Glaser Model and Identification of Development Barriers" (Case Study: a Military University

Document Type : Research/Original/Regular Article

Authors
leila sadeghi 1
parivash jaafari 1
behnam golshahi 2
1 Educational Management Department, Faculty of Management and Economics, Science and Research Unit, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Educational Management Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, Command and Staff University of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/qjmst.2024.2028682.2064
Abstract
Objective :The aim of this study is to assess the critical thinking of administrators at the Command and Staff University of the Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran and to identify the obstacles that hinder their progress.
Research Methodology: This study utilizes an applied approach and employs a mixed-methods strategy. The quantitative section uses the Watson-Glaser standardized test to evaluate critical thinking skills and confirmatory factor analysis to validate the research structure. The sample consists of 61 university administrators who were selected through a census approach. The qualitative section aims to identify barriers to the development of critical thinking and involves conducting semi-structured interviews with 19 senior administrators employed in Dafous. The results of the interviews are analyzed using thematic analysis with the assistance of MAXQDA software.
Findings: In the quantitative section, the average score of 59 classifies the Watson-Glaser test as "average" and confirms the validity of the research structure across all five dimensions of the model. In the qualitative section, four main dimensions of barriers to the development of critical thinking are identified: fallacies, personal barriers, organizational barriers, and external or cultural barriers. Among these, fallacies are recognized as the most significant hindrance to the development of critical thinking.
Conclusion: To foster the development of critical thinking among administrators, it is important to address obstacles such as fallacies, personal and organizational limitations, and cultural influences. Implementing targeted programs and strategies to tackle these barriers can significantly improve the quality of decision-making and performance of university administrators.
Keywords
critical thinking assessment
Barriers to the development of critical thinking
military university administrators
Watson-Glaser test
Subjects

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Military Science and Tactics
Volume 20, Issue 70
Winter 2025
Pages 45-75