The relationship between thinking styles and academic performance among secondary school pupils in Tanzania

The concept of thinking styles and its relationship to schooling has been a focus of intellectual curiosity for sometimes now. This study explored the relationship between two common thinking styles scales, and between these academic performances. Some 436 students, of whom 230 were boys from four secondary schools, responded to the Impulsive-Reflective Thinking Styles and surface-Deep Thinking Styles scales. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant relationship between these thinking styles, and between each of them with academic performance at secondary school level. Significant correlation of r=0.67,p,0.01,between the two measures of thinking styles was revealed. Also correlations of r=0.38, p,0.01; r=0.36, p,0.01; r=0.35, p,0.01; r=35, p,0.01; and r=0.40, p,0.01 between Impulsive Reflective thinking styles and chemistry, mathematics, biology, physics, English and the GPA, respectively, were revealed. Likewise, there were significant relationships of r=0.31, p,0.01; r0.29, p,0.01; r 0.26, p,0.01;r=0.25, p,0.01; r=0.24, p,0.01; and r=0.28, p,0.01 between Surface-Deep thinking styles and performance in the same subjects. it was concluded that the constructs of the two continuums of thinking styles shared certain degrees of underlying similarities. it was recommended that more studies be carried out to perfect these instruments in terms of validation, and on how more reflective and deep thinking styles could be promoted in teaching and learning.