Educational Research Journal


Vol. 13 No. 1, Pages 41-62, Summer 1998

Thinking Styles, Abilities, and Academic Achievement among Hong Kong University Students

Li-fang Zhang , Robert J. Sternberg

Abstract

622 entering freshmen from The University of Hong Kong responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory, based on Sternberg's theory of mental self-government.Data also included the participants' university entrance-examination test scores as well as their self-rated analytical, creative, and practical ability levels.Multiple-regression analysis procedures showed that (1) thinking styles served as predictors of academic achievement over and above abilities; (2) male students' academic achievement was positively related to analytical thinking, whereas female students' academic achievement was negatively related to either analytical or creative thinking; and (3) in general, the higher the participants rated themselves on the creative scale, the poorer their academic achievement was.Implications of these results are discussed.

Key words: thinking styles; abilities; academic achievement

[ Index | Educational Research Journal | Other Journals | Subscription form | Enquiry ]


Mail any comments and suggestions to hkier-journal@cuhk.edu.hk.