Critical thinking disposition in Chinese students: a meta-analysis of studies published from 2000 to 2025

The level of Chinese students' critical thinking disposition has been widely debated for the past three decades, yet previous studies have reported inconsistent findings and lacked quantitative synthesis. To address this gap and clarify the current state of critical thinking dispositions among Chinese students, the present study conducted a meta-analysis of 491 primary studies, encompassing 688 independent samples and 146,625 participants. The analysis found that the averaged scores of Chinese students' critical thinking disposition fluctuated between 3.684 and 3.909 on a six-point Likert scale. Moderator analyses revealed that grade level, major type, publication type, and university type significantly influenced effect sizes, whereas the methodological quality of the primary studies was not significantly associated with effect sizes. As the first global study to provide a precise estimate of Chinese students' critical thinking disposition, it highlights key areas for further research and discusses relevant theoretical and educational implications.