Collaborative inquiry-based learning (CIBL) is a notable instructional method used to nurture students’ higher order thinking skills. Few studies, however, have examined the mediating effect of learning approach (i.e., deep approach and surface approach) as an essential component in collaborative inquiry-based learning and the association between learning factors and higher order thinking skills. The present study conducted a semester-long survey of 80 college students who had studied using the collaborative inquiry-based learning approach. The mediating effects of learning approach on the association between four learning factors (i.e., intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, collaboration, and communication) and higher order thinking skills were examined using Partial least square (PLS) analyses. The results showed that deep approach served as a significant mediating variable in the relationship between the four learning factors and higher order thinking skills, while the surface approach did not. This study also found that collaboration was the only learning factor that had both indirect (via deep approach) and direct effects on higher order thinking skills. The fact that the relationship was examined in the collaborative inquiry-based learning context may explain the reasons for this. The findings of the study have practical implications for educators, indicating that guiding students to use the deep approach as often as possible may prove beneficial. Instructors can help students who use surface approach to gradually adjust to deep approach with careful instructional scaffoldings. Educators should also provide students with more opportunities to collaborate during inquiry-based learning activities.

协作探究式学习 (CIBL) 是一种著名的教学方法，用于培养学生的高级思维技能。然而，很少有研究考察学习方法（即深度方法和表面方法）作为协作探究式学习的重要组成部分的中介作用，以及学习因素与高级思维技能之间的关联。本研究对 80 名使用协作探究式学习方法学习的大学生进行了为期一个学期的调查。使用偏最小二乘 (PLS) 分析检查了学习方法对四种学习因素（即内在动机、外在动机、协作和沟通）和高阶思维技能之间关联的中介作用。结果表明，在四种学习因素与高阶思维技能之间的关系中，深度方法是一个重要的中介变量，而表面方法则不然。这项研究还发现，协作是唯一对高阶思维技能具有间接（通过深度方法）和直接影响的学习因素。在基于协作探究的学习环境中检查了这种关系的事实可以解释其原因。该研究的结果对教育工作者具有实际意义，表明引导学生尽可能多地使用深度方法可能是有益的。教师可以帮助使用表面方法的学生通过仔细的教学支架逐渐适应深度方法。