The rise of artificial intelligence signifies a transition into the intelligent age, compelling educational institutions to design skills training initiatives for workers to adapt to AI-induced transformations. In this digital era, comprehensive cognitive skills, notably creativity and critical thinking, are prized attributes, less susceptible to automation, and fundamental for societal prosperity amid the era of rapid information dissemination. The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to understand the key factors of vocational student’s critical thinking in Chinese vocational universities. We reviewed the related research published since 1930 and analyzed four factors (social culture, teaching methods, individual characteristics, and information literacy). Based on the Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory ,we identify the key factors related to critical thinking and formed a conceptual model of vocational student critical thinking. For further research, we will use stratified sampling to select 400 vocational students to conduct a questionnaire survey from 3 universities in Sichuan, China. The conceptual model and possible outcome will help us better understand the main factors of vocational student critical thinking and the impact of job seeking, which will provide implications for scholars and policymakers in this field.
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