Purposely Teaching for the Promotion of Higher-order Thinking Skills: A Case of Critical Thinking |
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| Authors: | Barak Miri Ben-Chaim David and Zoller Uri |
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| Institution: | (1) The Department of Education in Technology and Science, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000 Technion, Israel;(2) Faculty of Science and Science Education, University of Haifa-Oranim, Kiryat Tivon, 36006, Israel |
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| Abstract: | This longitudinal case-study aimed at examining whether purposely teaching for the promotion of higher order thinking skills
enhances students’ critical thinking (CT), within the framework of science education. Within a pre-, post-, and post–post
experimental design, high school students, were divided into three research groups. The experimental group (n = 57) consisted of science students who were exposed to teaching strategies designed for enhancing higher order thinking
skills. Two other groups: science (n = 41) and non-science majors (n = 79), were taught traditionally, and acted as control. By using critical thinking assessment instruments, we have found
that the experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement on critical thinking skills components and disposition
towards critical thinking subscales, such as truth-seeking, open-mindedness, self-confidence, and maturity, compared with
the control groups. Our findings suggest that if teachers purposely and persistently practice higher order thinking strategies
for example, dealing in class with real-world problems, encouraging open-ended class discussions, and fostering inquiry-oriented
experiments, there is a good chance for a consequent development of critical thinking capabilities. |
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| Keywords: | class discussions critical thinking higher-order thinking skills inquiry-oriented learning real-world cases teaching strategies |
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