Abstract:

Critical thinking, as the core objective of cultivating innovative talents in higher education, is profoundly influenced by university innovation resources. However, the mechanisms through which these resources drive critical thinking remain unclear. Based on the Person-Environment Fit Theory and integrating the Input-Process-Output (IPO) model, this study constructs a theoretical framework elucidating the mechanisms linking university innovation resources, learning approaches, and critical thinking development. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from 51,063 university students in China, the findings reveal that university innovation resource investment significantly promotes students' critical thinking development. challenge-based learning and interactive learning serve as significant mediators in this relationship, with the mediating effect of interactive learning being stronger than that of challenge-based learning. Accordingly, four practical recommendations are proposed: comprehensively optimizing the allocation of innovation resources to facilitate the coordinated development of courses and facilities; building a professional development system for teachers to enhance critical thinking teaching capabilities; optimizing the combination of learning approaches to leverage the synergistic mediating effects; and innovating critical thinking assessment by establishing a multidimensional process evaluation system. The research findings provide critical empirical support and policy references for innovation education in universities and the development of students' critical thinking.

Key words: innovation resources, critical thinking, challenge-based learning, interactive learning