Relationship Between Creativity, Critical Thinking, Gender, Mathematical Ability and Pattern Recognition Among Private School Students in Singapore

Ling, Meng Kay (2020) Relationship Between Creativity, Critical Thinking, Gender, Mathematical Ability and Pattern Recognition Among Private School Students in Singapore. Doctoral thesis, Asia e University.

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Abstract

In Singapore, students who wish to sit for the GCE ‘O’ level examinations would usually register themselves as school candidates and study in one of the Singapore public or autonomous schools to prepare for the high-stakes examinations. However, there were some students who, due to various reasons, choose to enrol themselves in preparatory courses offer by private schools. Many of these private school students were academically weaker in their studies (as compared to their counterparts in public schools), and many lacked the ability to recognize prominent patterns, which was an important cognitive skill for academic successes. A starting point to solve the problem was to determine possible relationships of pattern recognition with other cognitive abilities. Reviews of literature found evidences that creativity and critical thinking were two cognitive skills connected to pattern recognition. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the relationships of creativity and critical thinking skills of private school students with pattern recognition. A correlation research design was used to investigate the relationships between these cognitive skills, with mathematical ability as the mediating variable and gender as the moderating variable. The project involved the administration of survey questionnaires to the GCE ‘O’ level private school students. The instruments used for the study include a creativity test (modified Creativity Selected Elements Questionnaire), a critical thinking test (modified Cornell Critical Thinking), a mathematical ability test and a pattern recognition test. The main bulk of quantitative analysis was done using SMART-PLS Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) version 2. The results of the study showed that creativity was a weak predictor of pattern recognition ( = .074, t(203) < 1.96, f2= .016) but critical thinking was a good predictor ( = .326, t(203) > 1.96, f2= .278). It was also found that the mediating effect of mathematical ability and the moderating effect of gender were insignificant. This study contributed to the research in Singapore private education, particularly from the perspectives of the teachers and school administrators. It also provided the recommendation on how lessons should be conducted in order to incorporate elements of critical thinking and pattern recognition.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Critical thinking, Gender, Mathematical, Private School, Singapore
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
Depositing User:	Aida Rashidah Maajis
Date Deposited:	07 Apr 2021 03:36
Last Modified:	07 Apr 2021 03:38
URI:	http://ur.aeu.edu.my/id/eprint/861

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