The Effect of Critical Thinking and Democracy Perception on Conflict Resolution Skills in Middle School Students

Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the effects of middle school students' critical thinking tendencies, perceptions of democracy, gender, school type, grade level, parental education level, family income, and regular reading habits on their conflict resolution skills. In the study, the relational comparison design from quantitative research methods was used. The study group consists of 614 students, selected through purposive sampling from middle schools in Düzce province. In the study, a moderate, positive, and significant relationship was found between students' critical thinking dispositions, their perceptions of democracy, and their conflict resolution skills. Additionally, a low-level, positive, and significant relationship was identified between students' perceptions of democracy and their conflict resolution skills. According to the results of the study, critical thinking, particularly the disposition and analysis sub-factors, was found to be a significant influencing variable on the conciliation dimension of students' conflict resolution skills.