Open Access

Examination of the effect of sport sciences students’ attitudes towards scientific research on their critical thinking skills

1 Gümüşhane University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Gümüşhane, Turkiye
2 Gümüşhane University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Gümüşhane, Turkiye
3 Gümüşhane University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Gümüşhane, Turkiye

Abstract

The objective of this research is to examine the impact of attitudes towards scientific research on the critical thinking skills of students enrolled in sport science programmes, with respect to certain socio-demographic characteristics. The research is in the survey model and was evaluated within the scope of the relational survey method. The study group of the research consists of 452 students studying at Erciyes University Faculty of Sport Sciences in the 2023-2024 academic year. The application of the Attitude Towards Scientific Research Scale and the Critical Thinking Skills Scale to the students is the subject of this study. The study group for the research consists of a total of 452 students, 225 male and 227 female, who were selected by means of a convenience sampling method and who are studying in the field of Sports Sciences at Erciyes University in the 2023-2024 academic year. The findings of the study indicated a correlation between critical thinking among students in the field of sport sciences and their positive attitudes towards scientific research. A statistically significant difference was observed in the positive attitude towards research sub-dimension score ‘according to the department’ (p=0.049). The findings of the study indicated that critical thinking skills accounted for 25.2% of the variance in attitudes towards scientific research. Furthermore, it was determined that the positive attitude towards research was explained by 27% of the variables, while the positive attitude towards research was explained by 30.2% of the variables. Consequently, it was determined that an enhancement in students’ critical thinking skills was concomitant with an improvement in their attitude towards scientific research. These results underscore the pivotal function of critical thinking skills in fostering favorable attitudes toward scientific inquiry. The enhancements in attitudes favoring scientific research, concomitant with the augmentation in critical thinking skills, signify a substantial contribution to the field.

Keywords

How to Cite

Yildirim, H., Sahin, O., & Yilmaz, C. (2025). Examination of the effect of sport sciences students’ attitudes towards scientific research on their critical thinking skills . International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences, 16(60), 841–855. https://doi.org/10.70736/ijoess.1674

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