Students’ Grit and Willingness to Communicate In English as Predictors of Critical Thinking Skills

Using a quantitative correlational design, this study investigated the relationship between students’ grit, their willingness to communicate in English, and their critical thinking skills. Three validated instruments to measure the constructs of grit, WTC, and critical thinking were administered to 379 college students in a private educational institution in Davao City. Spearman’s rho correlation was used to analyze the relationship among variables and multiple regression analysis to determine if grit and WTC predict critical thinking. Furthermore, regression analysis confirmed grit and WTC as important predictors of critical thinking skills, underlining the need to develop non-cognitive and conventional cognitive skills to improve critical thinking skills in learning environments. Implications suggest integrating targeted interventions that develop grit and communication skills within curriculum frameworks to better prepare students for complex problem-solving and decision-making in their professional and personal lives.