Volume 3,Issue 9
Learning Engagement and Critical and Creative Thinking Development among Vocational Students: A Parsimonious Model
Developing critical and creative thinking (CCT) is a priority for technical and vocational education (TVE), yet empirical accounts often combine multiple upstream factors, which complicates implementation and reporting. This study adopts a parsimonious approach by examining one testable relationship: whether learning engagement predicts vocational students' CCT. Survey data were collected from vocational students, yielding a final analytic sample of N = 231 after standard screening. Engagement and CCT were measured using multi‑item scales with acceptable internal consistency (α = 0.913 and 0.926, respectively). The results indicate a strong positive association between engagement and CCT (r = 0.819). A simple regression further shows that engagement significantly predicts CCT (β = 0.637, t = 7.088, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that engagement is a practicable process lever for strengthening higher‑order thinking in TVE without requiring complex models or extensive statistical disclosure. Implications are discussed in terms of engagement‑rich task routines, formative prompts, and feedback structures that increase opportunities for analysis, evaluation, and idea improvement.
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