ERIC Number: EJ774448
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Oct
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0157-244X
EISSN: N/A
Purposely Teaching for the Promotion of Higher-Order Thinking Skills: A Case of Critical Thinking
Miri, Barak; Ben-Chaim, David; Zoller, Uri
Research in Science Education, v37 n4 p353-369 Oct 2007
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. (Contains 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Teaching Methods, Research Design, Experimental Groups, Thinking Skills, Control Groups, Critical Thinking, Longitudinal Studies, Case Studies, Science Education, High School Students, Self Esteem, Maturity (Individuals), Ethics, Skill Development, Inquiry, Problem Solving
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A