ERIC Number: EJ1196518
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2469-9632
EISSN: N/A
Enhancing Critical Thinking in Malaysian Primary School Students through PLS Method
Sasi, Abolfazl Shirban
International Journal of Educational Methodology, v4 n4 p243-257 2018
Pictologics (PLS) is a language teaching method which relies on imaginative usage of pictures. The current paper reports the effects of applying this method on enhancing critical thinking ability of the Malaysian students. 69 students (32 boys & 37 girls) in two classes in a public primary school in Penang, Malaysia participated in this study. The experiment covered ten 1-hour sessions which were all audio-recorded and video-taped. The main objective was to engage the students in short conversations in English by using new words that they were learning via PLS. The following qualitative instruments were employed in this study: interviews with the teachers, focus group interviews with the students, a group interview with students' parents, class check-list of the students' behavior during the sessions, photos, and video footages. The findings reveal significant patterns of critical thinking among the students such as recognizing and criticizing assumptions, giving reasons to support a conclusion, incorporating isolated data into a wider framework, and using analogies to solve problems. The author strongly recommends application of adopted PLS techniques to be used either alone, or combined with the other conventional language teaching methods.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Critical Thinking, Elementary School Students, Second Language Instruction, English (Second Language), Teaching Methods, Second Language Learning, Program Implementation, Outcomes of Education, Instructional Effectiveness, Visual Aids, Associative Learning, Vocabulary Development
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A