Systematic Review of Future Thinking Skills and Their Impact on Academic Achievement
Keywords:
foresight, cognitive skills, academic achievement, systematic review, PRISMAAbstract
The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) of research on future thinking skills in higher education during the period from 2014 to 2023, with a focus on classifying these skills and analyzing their impact on students’ academic achievement. The systematic literature review (SLR) methodology was employed to analyze previous studies related to future thinking skills in higher education. The search process included major academic databases such as ERIC, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar, in which 507 articles were screened, and 22 relevant studies were selected based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. This review revealed a significant shortage of published research on future thinking skills in higher education, as only 22 relevant studies were identified out of the 507 articles reviewed. In recent years, particularly between 2020 and 2023, there has been a notable increase in the number of published research articles in this area, indicating growing academic interest in foresight-related thinking skills. Three Arab countries dominated research output on future thinking: Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. This reflects the growing regional interest in fostering students’ future thinking skills. Future thinking skills were classified into three main categories: Preventive skills, such as future planning, scientific forecasting, and decision-making; Creative skills, such as envisioning the future and constructing scenarios; and Adaptive skills, such as solving future problems, trend analysis, and positive thinking. Studies have shown a positive relationship between future thinking skills and students’ academic achievement. These skills contribute to improved academic performance, increased motivation, and enhanced self-regulation and the ability to make sound academic decisions. This systematic review emphasized the importance of integrating future thinking skills into higher education curricula, given their positive impact on students’ academic achievement. It also recommended conducting further research to develop effective measurement tools for these skills and to design educational programs that systematically enhance them.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Noor Naim Ajil (Author); Ali Khalkhali; Falih Abdul Hasan Owai, Mahbuh Sadat (Author)
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