Abstract

Critical thinking is a relevant ability nowadays in higher education, but there is a lack of consensus on its definitions and assessment instruments. This article offers a conceptual and methodological review about the instruments used to measure critical thinking, in order to generate a discussion that allows a better understanding and appreciation of the aspects that are considered in this skill. The methodology consisted of a systematic review of studies in databases, selecting 31 studies out of 97 founded, and 8 of them for deep analysis; atopic content analysis in definitions and test characteristics is also used. Results show the existence of many differences in definitions and assessments of critical thinking, with a variety of tests and little consensus on the measured components. The need of an integrative model of Critical Thinking, considering cognitive, metacognitive and dispositional skills is discussed.