This paper was presented at the 2026 annual conference of the American Educational Research Association in Los Angeles, CA and details findings from a study of the efficacy of a critical thinking skills program among Master of Science in Business students at a large U.S. public university. Using the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), students were assessed across three instructional conditions: no instruction, implicit instruction, and explicit instruction.
Results showed statistically significant improvements in CLA+ scores with increasing levels of instruction, with the highest gains observed in the explicit instruction group. Additionally, a greater proportion of students in this group achieved “accomplished” or “advanced” mastery levels. These findings suggest that structured, explicit instruction in critical thinking significantly enhances students’ higher order skills, offering a scalable model for addressing the critical thinking gap in higher education.
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