The specifics of developing critical thinking and complex analytical problem-solving skills: Evaluating the quality of educational interaction

Introduction. Modern higher education is focused on improving the ability to critically analyze information and solve complex professionally oriented tasks which are considered as integral indicators of the quality of educational interaction. This problem remains insufficiently studied in the scholarly literature. The purpose of the article is to identify the specific dynamics of developing critical thinking and complex analytical problem-solving skills among university students by means of evaluating the quality of educational interaction. Materials and Methods. The study follows competence-based, activity-based and human-centered approaches. The research methods include the following: (1) the analysis of scholarly literature by Russian and international researchers, (2) the action research (experiment) involving bachelor’s students majoring in Marketing at USUE (N = 135), (3) elements of longitudinal observation (2023–2025), (4)a survey based on a 5-point Likert scale, (5) a comparative analysis, (6) methods of mathematical statistics (Student’s t-test) and (7)a correlation analysis. A model for evaluating the quality of educational interaction has been developed and tested through the systematic use of the gamification method throughout the bachelor's degree programmes. The assessment of the quality of educational interaction was carried out according to four interrelated components: academic, cognitive, professional and personal. Results. A steady positive dynamics within the components of educational interaction quality has been revealed within the framework of long-term use of gamification tools. It has been substantiated that the most pronounced changes are observed within the academic component (+130.7 %), reflecting an increase in students’ involvement in academic and professionally oriented activities. It has been established that the long-term use of game-based educational practices contributes to the development of critical thinking (+41.2 %) and skills for solving complex analytical problems (+42.1 %), including the ability to make decisions under conditions of uncertainty (+47.8 %), evaluate alternative points of view (+45.4 %), and use the results of data analysis when making management decisions (+45.1 %). The close interrelation of the identified components of educational interaction — academic, cognitive, professional and personal — is confirmed (r = 0.78; p < 0.01). Conclusions. The obtained results allow considering the quality of educational interaction as an integral characteristic feature of the educational process. The developed and tested model for evaluating the quality of educational interaction can be used in designing, monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of practice-oriented degree programs.