The significant growth and diversification of higher education globally over the past decades has raised interest in the learning outcomes of higher education students’ and the quality of education (Van Damme, 2022). One particular concern is whether students in higher education possess the so called 21^st century, or generic, skills upon graduation (Hyytinen, Toom & Shavelson, 2019). One of these generic skills is critical thinking, named as a vital skill to be an autonomous and participating citizen (Hyytinen, Toom & Shavelson, 2019). Critical thinking can be described as “a purposeful self-regulatory judgement about what to believe and to do” (Hyytinen, Toom & Shavelson, 2019 p. 64). Critical thinking has been singled out as one of the most important competencies for a citizen in the 21st century (Hyytinen, Toom & Shavelson, 2019). 

At the same time, cognitive functioning, skill acquisition, and academic performance are strongly linked to well-being (Korhonen & Toom, 2017). Well-being can be defined as optimal psychological functioning and experience (Ryan & Deci, 2001) combining a person’s psychological, social and physical well-being (Korhonen & Toom, 2017). 

Previous research has shown that the majority of Finnish bachelor level students possess generic skills, including critical thinking skills, at a basic or lower level (Ursin et al., 2021) and that the well-being of Finnish higher education students has deteriorated in the recent years (Tuononen et al., 2024). However, no studies in Finland have specifically explored the relationship between critical thinking skills and well-being in higher education students. International research has nonetheless found that higher education students with better critical thinking abilities and dispositions also tend to show higher levels of well-being and less signs of mental health issues (Liu et al., 2021). It has also been found that students with better prior academic achievement also show better critical thinking skills in higher education (Kleemola, Hyytinen & Toom, 2023). 

Although the concept and measuring of generic skills among higher education students have sparked a remarkable amount of interest in the recent years (Shavelson et al., 2018; Tuononen et al., 2022) critical thinking skills have been researched using mainly self-assessment methods instead of performance-based methods (Shavelson et al., 2018; Hyytinen et al., 2021; Kleemola et al., 2022). Performance-based assessments have shown to give a more direct access to the thinking process of a student since they require authentic behaviour (Kleemola et al., 2022). Therefore, this study aims to measure Finnish higher education students’ critical thinking skills with performance-based methods as well as how students’ well-being and prior achievement in upper secondary education influences their critical thinking.

This study aims to assess the current levels of critical thinking skills and well-being among first-year students, as well as to understand how students’ previous academic achievement influences their skills in critical thinking. The research questions are the following: 1) At what level are the Finnish higher education students’ critical thinking skills and well-being? How are these associated with each other? 2) To what extent do first-year students’ well-being and previous academic achievement explain their critical thinking skills? 

This study analyzes data collected by the KAPPAS2 project, a research involving the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland. The data includes data from 18 Finnish higher education institutions to assess students' critical thinking skills using the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+) task from the Council for Aid to Education (CAE). The CLA+ includes an open-ended performance task (PT), multiple-choice questions (MCs), and a self-reported background survey. The CLA+ aims to evaluate critical thinking and written communication skills of students. It features two assessment types: a PT MCs. The PT is essay-based, where students tackle real-life problems using provided documents. These responses are manually scored by two trained scorers and the scores are given based on the students’ analysis, writing effectiveness, and wiritng mechanics. The MCs assess students' scientific reasoning, critical reading, and argument critique. After the CLA+ task, students complete a self-reported survey measuring their well-being through the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS). The WEMWBS uses a 1 to 5 Likert scale. The study also examines students' previous academic achievements through self-reported matriculation examination grades. For the analysis of the data, a structural equation model will be used with MPlus. Ultimately, around 2500 first-year bachelor level students' responses will be included in the analysis.

This study aims to assess Finnish first-year higher education students’ level of critical thinking skills and well-being. Additionally, this study aims to address the prospective relationship between students’ critical thinking, well-being and prior academic achievement. This study measures students’ critical thinking with a performance-based CLA+ task which includes both an open-ended essay task and a multiple-choice task measuring the students’ analysis and problem solving, writing effectiveness, writing mechanics, reasoning, critical and evualuative reading and critique of an argument. Additionally, students’ well-being will be measures using a self-reported survey including the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale and Marticulation Examination grades. Data will be analyzed using structural equation model with MplusThis study is in progress and will be conducted by fall 2025. Thus far, the data has been collected from around 2500 Finnish first-year higher education students from 18 higher education institutions. The data will be analyzed in spring 2025. Based on previous research I expect to find that the students’ critical thinking skills are at an basic or lower lever (e.g. Ursin et al., 2021), students’ well-being is relatively low (e.g. Tuononen et al., 2024). I also expect to find a relation of some degree between students’ critical thinking and well-being (e.g. Liu et al., 2021) and that better previous academic achievement positively affects critical thinking (Kleemola et al., 2023).

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