MAPPING RESEARCH ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ CRITICAL THINKING: A SCOPING REVIEW

Abstract

Critical thinking is widely recognized as a key psychological and educational construct underlying students' cognitive development, academic success, and readiness to make complex decisions in modern society. In recent years, the increasing digitalization of higher education and the integration of artificial intelligence tools have significantly changed the conditions in which critical thinking is developed, assessed, and demonstrated. This article presents a literature review aimed at mapping current research on critical thinking among university students, focusing on its psychological foundations and interdisciplinary nature. Critical thinking is conceptualized as an integrative system of cognitive, metacognitive, reflective, and dispositional processes that requires systematic analysis within an interdisciplinary framework, with cognitive science serving as a methodological prototype. Based on an analysis of 27 peer-reviewed studies published in international and regional journals, the review identifies key thematic clusters, including the cognitive and metacognitive components of critical thinking, psychological dispositions and attitudes, linguistic and argumentative processes, assessment approaches, and the impact of digital educational environments. The study's findings highlight prevailing research trends, methodological diversity, and existing gaps, particularly the limited integration of psychological perspectives in digitally mediated contexts. The study highlights the need for interdisciplinary and psychologically informed approaches to understanding and developing critical thinking in higher education.