Critical thinking disposition and academic achievement among Chinese high school students: A moderated mediation model

Abstract This study tested a moderated mediation model that included critical thinking disposition (independent variable), emotional intelligence (moderator), academic self‐efficacy (mediator), and academic achievement (dependent variable) in a sample of 642 high school participants aged 14–16 years ( M = 15.59, SD = 0.97, 48.44% males) in China, using data from an in‐school questionnaire. Study findings showed that critical thinking disposition was positively associated with academic achievement. Academic self‐efficacy played a mediating role between critical thinking disposition and academic achievement. Moreover, emotional intelligence played a moderating role in the second half of the mediation process, in which critical thinking disposition affected academic achievement through academic self‐efficacy. The results revealed the mechanism of critical thinking disposition on academic achievement.