The predictive role of critical thinking and attitudes toward science in students' media literacy

Mass media is one of the main components of human societies, and our lives depend on the media, so that media literacy and informational literacy are necessary in today's society. Two variables that could be related to media literacy are critical thinking and attitudes towards science and technology. To draw a better picture of these relationships conducting empirical studies is warranted. In doing so, the present study aimed to investigate the predictive role of critical thinking and attitudes toward science in media literacy of students of Islamic Azad University, Qom Branch. 180 participants (76.1% female) were selected by non-random sampling method and answered the Ricketts Critical Thinking Disposition Questionnaire, the Science and Technology Attitude subscale from the Science Education Communication Questionnaire, and the Media Literacy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. The results showed that critical thinking and positive attitudes towards science were positively correlated with media literacy. Critical thinking and positive attitudes towards science were also significant predictors of students' media literacy. Based on the results of this study, the links of media literacy to critical thinking skills and attitudes towards science have been confirmed. It seems necessary to study strategies to strengthen critical thinking and create a positive attitude towards science in students.