Investigating the Relationship between Critical Thinking Disposition and Teaching Style of Faculty Members in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

The critical thinking disposition and related factors as one of the professional competencies of faculty members have attracted many educational researchers᾽ attention. Teaching styles are also effective factors in developing skills and tendency of critical thinking that can be effective in strengthening critical thinking. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of critical thinking disposition and teaching style in faculty members of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences.

This is a  descriptive- correlational study. The study population was all professors of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in the year 2020. Based on Morgan's table, 205 people were selected by stratified proportional method and evaluated using Ricketts Critical Thinking disposition and Grasha-Richmann Teaching Style Questionnaires. Data were analyzed using multiple regression tests and Pearson correlation coefficient through SPSS.

The mean score of critical thinking disposition in participants was higher than average (123.03± 13.84), and the preferential teaching style was formal authority (27.9%) and expert style (23.8%). There was a significant relationship between the critical thinking disposition and the faculty's teaching style (p <0.05). The highest multivariate correlation coefficient was formal authority teaching style (0.692), and the lowest was observed in the delegator teaching style (0.561) (p <0.001). The most correlation and predictor was the formal authority teaching style (48%), and the lowest was the delegator teaching style (31%).

Findings showed that there is a relationship between the critical thinking disposition and teaching style and the critical thinking disposition is a predictor variable for teaching style. By holding educational programs on critical thinking disposition and teaching styles, appropriate educational conditions can be provided for the development of critical thinking disposition in faculty members and students.