How to teach critical thinking: an experimental study with three different approaches

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Curriculum Development

Background:

• Critical thinking (CT) is crucial for academic success and lifelong learning.
• Effective pedagogical strategies are needed to foster CT skills and dispositions in students.
• Various teaching approaches, including general, immersion, and mixed methods, have been proposed for CT development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of general, immersion, and mixed CT teaching approaches on high school students' CT skills.
• To evaluate the effects of these approaches on students' CT dispositions.
• To compare the relative effectiveness of the three CT teaching methods.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was employed.
• Three experimental groups received CT instruction via general, immersion, or mixed approaches.
• Data were collected using the Critical Thinking Skill Test and the UF/EMI Critical Thinking Disposition Instrument.

Main Results:

• All three CT teaching approaches (general, immersion, mixed) led to significant improvements in both CT skills and dispositions.
• A large effect size was observed for the improvement of CT skills across all approaches.
• The general approach showed the largest effect on CT skills, while the mixed approach had the most substantial impact on CT dispositions.

Conclusions:

• CT teaching, regardless of the approach, positively influences students' CT abilities and attitudes.
• The general approach appears most potent for enhancing CT skills, whereas the mixed approach is more effective for cultivating CT dispositions.
• These findings offer valuable insights for educators designing CT curricula.