Survey of Relation between Hidden Curriculum Components and Dimensions of Tendency to Students’ Critical Thinking

The purpose of this research was survey of relation between hidden curriculum components and dimensions of students’ tendency to critical thinking. Methodology of the research was descriptive correlation. The sample included 381 students of Shahed University and two indicators of measurement of university hidden curriculum dimensions and standard index of tendency to California students’ critical thinking (2001) were used. Validity of indicators of measurement of university hidden curriculum dimensions was approved by some of relevant experts while its reliability in two positive and negative aspects by Cronbach’s alpha was respectively 0.88 and 0.86. Index of California students’ tendency to critical thinking had appropriate validity and according to Cronbach’s alpha its reliability was 0.90. Findings showed that: 1- there is significant correlation between hidden curriculum components and seven dimensions of Shahed University students’ tendency to critical thinking (some of positive and negative aspects of hidden curriculum components had significant positive and negative correlation with some special dimensions or whole tendency to critical thinking). 2- The correlation between all positive components of hidden curriculum and tendency to thinking broadly was direct and significant. 3- The correlation between all negative components of hidden curriculum and dimensions of analysis, curiosity, maturity in judgment, truth seeking, thinking broadly, as well as whole dimensions of tendency to critical thinking was reverse and significant. 4- Regression models in form of four-variable equation for analysis of relative share of hidden curriculum components for prediction of tendency to critical thinking (whole) indicated that components of “negative aspect of content of major’s courses” (b= -0.174), “negative aspect of evaluation of academic success” (b= -0.149), “positive aspect of content of major’s courses” (b= -0.142), and “positive aspect of professors’ methodology” (b= 0.100) totally have provided 30.2% of total variance for students’ tendency to critical thinking including significant negative (reverse) or positive (direct) relations (sig= 0.000 F= 20.21).